Tanzania - Kilimanjaro: Mwika Peaberry

Producer: Mwika Community, North AMCOS

Origin: Kilimanjaro, Northern Tanzania

We Taste: Cherry, Kiwi, Golden Raisin, Apple, Amaretto

Varietals: Bourbon, Jackson Bourbon

Altitude: 1675 masl

Process: Washed

12 oz Whole Bean Coffee

In the past, Tanzanian coffee producers were limited in selling their cherry only through a centralized national auction. Gradually, small holders farmers, who produce about 90% of the country's coffee, began selling to regional Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS) as members. While these regional hubs and processing stations enable greater consistency and quality control, many producers still process their cherry at home due to the difficultly in transporting cherry to these hubs. 

Mwika North AMCOS is an example of a community where some members are still resorting to the ease of home processes despite clear quality differences in utilizing a central processing station. This peaberry lot is one that was processed centrally and presents greater depth and clarity of fruit qualities than the home processed version (which came across with more dark fruit and molasses notes). In this lot, we taste dense fruit notes of apple, cherry and kiwi with a dried cherry and amaretto-like aroma.