Region/Terroir          Elevation   

 

   Wet (washed)         Red Bourbon

Fermentation           Cultivar  

 

     Picked in              Landed in

 

This is the second year that we work with Sungura Mbozi CPU (Coffee Processing Unit) and we could not be happier, with a very consistent quality and bright character, with a superior sweetness.
The Tanzania coffee character belongs to the Central/East African family of washed (wet-processed) coffees - bright (acidic), and almost aggressively flavourful. Kenya may still produce superior coffee, but Tanzania has pushed ahead and shows many of the same positive qualities of Kenya.

This coffee from Sungura washing station is located in the southern highlands of Mbeya in western Tanzania. Masangula, Isende, Iyula, and others, these are the names of Farmer Business Groups (FBG), essentially cooperative efforts by smallholder coffee farmers to pool resources, processing and marketing of their crop. In a place like Tanzania, where small holders may only produce a few bags of coffee, FBG's give farmer members the opportunity to combine lots together, which in this case, affords them the resource of processing coffees on big machinery rather than by hand - a tedious task that would be necessary for processing small amounts of coffee. The stations sit at around 1620 meters above sea level and coffee is grown up to 1800 meters, with farms planted mainly in Red Bourbon.

Washed coffees focus solely on the bean. They let you taste you what’s on the inside, not the outside. Washed coffees depend almost 100% on the bean having absorbed enough natural sugars and nutrients during its growing cycle. This means the varietal, soil, weather, ripeness, fermentation, washing, and drying are absolutely key.
Washed coffees reflect both the science of growing the perfect coffee bean and the fact that farmers are an integral part of crafting the taste of a coffee bean. When looking at washed coffees, it becomes apparent that the country of origin and environmental conditions play a vital role in adding to the flavour.

During wet processing, the pulp (i.e.the exocarp and a part of the mesocarp) is removed mechanically. The remaining mesocarp, called mucilage, sticks to the parchment and is also removed before drying. During this process, the sugars present in the mucilage are removed through natural fermentation or mechanical scrubbing. Mucilage is insoluble in water and clings to parchment too strongly to be removed by simple washing. Mucilage can be removed by fermentation followed by washing or by strong friction in machines called mucilage removers. Fermentation can be done by stacking the coffee outside or placing them under water and allowing nature to take its course. After the sugars are removed, the beans then can be taken through a secondary washing to remove any additional debris, or taken immediately to the patios or beds for drying.
 

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If you're a retail store or coffee shop, please Contact Us for more information on any of the coffees you see here.