Arusha - Tanzania
The Coffee
Region: Arusha, Tanzania
Varietal(s): Blue Mountain, Kent, Red Bourbon
Processing method: Anaerobic Maceration
Elevation: 1600m - 1800m
The Story
The estate is a 211 hectare farm in the Arusha region of Northern Tanzania. This area is the heart of the Maasai land in Tanzania.
All permanent staff are provided with housing on the Estates (in four different camps), and the minimum salary is set at 20% above the government minimum requirement. Staff have social security and Labour Union membership included in their contracts, and an Estate credit union also offer loans and advice for education, health and house construction.
The Estate trains dedicated wildlife wardens to protect and conserve this wildlife.
This 'anaerobic maceration' process begins with selection harvesting of only "blood red" ripe cherry. Hand sorting is conducted before the cherries enter a closed fermentation vessel - a sealed 1,000l plastic tank with a CO2 trap to vent off gases without allowing air to enter.
After a 5 day fermentation period, the cherries are dried on raised African beds for up to 3 weeks, or until the cherries have reduced to 12% moisture.