Tanzania Kilimanjaro Peaberry
Producers: From three award winning farmer cooperatives. Smallholders from the Mamsera, Mahida and Kirwa Keni Cooperative Groups deliver their coffee to the Rafiki Coffee Mill in the town of Moshi.
Region: Kilimanjaro- The highest point in Africa is the summit of Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro. Coffees from the Kilimanjaro region tend to be full-bodied, with chocolate and caramel notes. Most growers combine coffee and banana production in their gardens. Banana trees provide ideal shade for coffee plants and are a key part of the local diet, while coffee is primarily a source of cash income.
Altitude: 1350-1750m
Process: Washed.
Roast Level: Medium
Flavors: Medium to heavy bodied with orange brightness, brown sugar sweetness and dark chocolate notes
Terms: What's a peaberry? It refers to the shape of the coffee seed (bean). Typically, coffee cherries have two coffee seeds (beans). One side of the coffee seed is flat and the other is round. However, sometimes a natural mutation occurs and only one coffee seed forms, resulting in a coffee seed (berry) that is round on all sides. This natural mutation seed is referred to as a peaberry. Typically smaller and denser, this peaberry coffee has to be hand sorted after processing. Extra time and labor goes into creating a peaberry variety.
Cupping Notes:
- 4/2020: Did a comparison between a regular Tanzanian Kilimanjaro and this peaberry variety. The chocolate level was noticeable. The peaberry was not as heavy and had more orange brightness come through. Still had a medium-body and brown sugar sweetness. If you enjoyed the latest Kilimanajaro variety, you are going to enjoy this one even more because it has more pop of flavor.
- 2/2021: Heavy bodied with bright orange acidity coming through. If you like good bodied medium to dark roasts, then this would be a great choice. Last year's crop had less chocolatey notes. This year's crop had big notes of dark chocolate.
