Aromas of Swiss chocolate, pear, and baking spice introduce this uniquely sweet and soft peaberry. We found peach and plum notes in the brewed cup, with pomegranate sweetness and pleasantly bright Key lime pie acidity. Sandalwood and brown sugar linger on the tongue.

Details

Producer: Iyenga AMCOS
Farm: 193 Smallholders
Region: Mbozi District, Songwe Region
Altitude: 5,495-6,234 feet | 1,675-1,900 masl
Varietal: Peaberries of Kent and Bourbon
Process: Washed
Roast: Light-Medium
Notes: Pear, Baking Spice, Key Lime Pie

The Story

Founded in the wake of the Tanzanian Cooperative Act of 2003, today the Iyenga AMCOS (Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society) has 193 registered members and collects from just over 500 farmers. These are smallholders, most with 1-2 hectare farms and none with more than 5. Most members are within a short walk of the washing station, the farthest farm being 10km away. Still, during the harvest the group organizes trucks and motorbikes to pick up cherry and make sure that all is pulped within 8 hours of harvest. Their government-granted Penagos UCBE 500 is an eco-efficient pulper that conserves water—which is critical in this area. Access to water is one of Iyenga’s biggest challenges, especially during the dry season. Conversations during the annual meetings include ideas for damming a local river or creating a rainwater reservoir.

Iyenga’s elected board has a reputation for capable management, as evidenced by their collection services and pulping standards. They have proven their ability to work towards long-term goals, and have taken on quality as their next objective.

Iyenga has begun to build a name for themselves—in 2019 they won the Taste of Harvest Competition with their AA and PB coffees. In partnership with Crop to Cup they are expanding drying bed capacity to increase drying times, currently a bottleneck in quality production.

What is a Peaberry?

Peaberries form when only one seed within the coffee cherry is fertilized. This produces a single round bean instead of the usual two beans with flat faces and round backs.

Peaberries constitute a small percentage of each harvest. They are typically sorted into peaberry-only lots for consistency during the roasting process, as they are denser than regular coffee beans with pronounced sweetness.