Tanzania Finagro Estate Peaberry

One Real 16oz. Pound I know that the holy grail of coffee for many of you is a peaberry! This peaberry from Tanzania's Ngorongoro Finagro Plantations Gaia Estate delivers. For the uninitiated, peaberry coffee is very rare – in fact, only about 5% of the coffee crop results in a peaberry. Here's the scoop: The coffee cherry usually contains two seeds (what we call the coffee bean) that grow flat against each other. However, sometimes a natural mutation occurs and only one bean forms. They are smaller, denser, and round. The flavors and characteristics are super concentrated. And the coffee is rigorously hand-sorted to obtain the cherished peaberry, so just take a moment to appreciate the hard work that goes into your cup. Gaia Farm is a 620-hectare family-owned estate located in the Karatu district of Tanzania. Gaia is one of two farms managed by Neel and Kavita Vohora, siblings, multi-generation coffee growers, and agricultural entrepreneurs in this extremely unique part of East Africa. Both farms are cultivated along the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken caldera in the world and a breathtakingly scenic landscape of escarpments and fertile open range that has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. Neel and Kavita are third-generation Tanzanians of Indian heritage, and their family has been in the Tanzanian coffee business since the end of the Second World War. The family export business, based in Arusha, has more than 60 years of experience in the country. This coffee is everything we want in a cup. It's fully washed and dried on raised platforms to ensure the best quality. This is a dense, full-bodied coffee with a lovely sweetness throughout. The aroma reminds me of freshly baked bread and Mom's apple pie. There is also sweetness, but it's not floral like in other African coffees. In the cup, it's full-bodied, with notes of candied pecans and chocolate syrup. The finish is lingering with a bit of spice and hints of butter cookies. Really, I like this coffee for the cooler fall weather right around the corner. Aroma: Warm Bread, Chocolate, Sweet (not floral), Apple Pie Cup: Full-bodied, Candied Pecan, Syrupy, Chocolate Syrup Finish: Lingering, Spicy, Butter Cookies About this Coffee GROWER: Gaia Farm REGION: Oldeani Village, Karatu District, Tanzania ALTITUDE: 1650 – 1800 meters above sea level PROCESS: Fully washed and dried in raised beds VARIETY: Kent, Bourbon, SL-28, Batian, Ruiru-11 HARVEST: June - December SOIL: Volcanic loam CERTIFICATION: Conventional Since 1971, the Vohoras have owned about 1000 acres of farmland on the southern exterior slopes of the Ngorongoro caldera near the town of Karatu in Tanzania’s lush rift valley. The farms hold Rainforest Alliance certification, and the family and their 50+ full-time employees have done a remarkable job of upkeep and preservation of natural beauty while also running a thriving coffee business. They are diversifying into macadamia and honey, provide temporary housing for harvest labor, and even supply land on the farm for local smallholders to grow beans - a mutually beneficial crop as the legumes fix nitrogen in the soil, a critical step in a healthy cycle of crops. Neel’s sister Kavita runs the dry mill, roastery, and export business from Arusha, a two-hour drive away from the farms. Kavita is a licensed Q-grader, a meticulous cupper and quality agent, and a mother. Neel is also a knowledgeable farmer with a persistent drive to experiment and has staffed the estate with experienced management. They both keep an army of pets around the offices, including terriers and ducks. Of the 620 hectares that comprise Gaia Farm, 260 are planted with coffee. These planted hectares are subdivided into 50 blocs by microclimate or coffee variety, allowing the Vohoras and their harvest staff of 800 to manage each specific need of the farm in an orderly way.