TANZANIA COFFEE TASTING NOTES

The aroma of a Tanzania coffee may exhibit a rustic note and sometimes a brown bread sweetness. The aftertaste lingers with a slight suggestion of East African wildness.

The acidity levels of Tanzania coffee are slightly muted compared to Kenyan coffee, are also less consistent with a milder body. Although the fruit and acidity are more understated they still shine brightly. Ground, dry Tanzania coffee may present a sweet molasses fragrance that is slightly floral with notes of apple fruit.

ROASTING TANZANIA COFFEE

When Tanzania coffee is given a City Roast it accentuates the herbal-floral scent while a darker roast brings out the berry fruit flavor and a black pepper spice accent in the finish.

TANZANIA COFFEE PROCESSING

Tanzania’s overall green coffee production quality and consistency is also far behind the production quality of Kenya coffee. The winey acidity of Tanzania coffee has been compared to Arabian coffees as well as African coffees.

All Tanzanian coffee is wet processed (washed), and the Tanzanian coffee grading system is similar to Kenya coffee grading, with Tanzania AA being the highest grade followed by A, B, etc.

TANZANIA COFFEE GROWING REGIONS

Tanzania’s major coffee growing regions include Arusha (Meru),  the Moshi district (on the slopes of Kilimanjaro), Oldeani (in the Arusha region), and Pare, the high plateau between Lake Taganyika and Lake Nyassa as well as Songea, the capital of the Ruvuma region of southeastern Tanzania where the Ruvuma River forms most of the southern boundary with Mozambique.

Coffees that come from southern Tanzania tend to benefit from better drying conditions as well as better access to transportation which is a big advantage since a lot of the criticism of defective Tanzanian coffee batches comes from being “steamed” in the shipping containers in transit. Also see Tanzania Peaberry Coffee; Tanzania Kilimanjaro Coffee.

Three of the most distinctive coffees of Tanzania are Moshi, Arusha, and Kilimanjaro, all grown on the hills of Mt. Kilimanjaro near the Tanzania’s border with Kenya. Tanzania’s high elevation qualifies almost all of its coffee as Strictly High Grown (SHG).

Also respected, but grown in smaller quantities, are Mbeya (the name of a principal town) and Pare (a market name) grown further south between Lake Nyasa and Lake Tanganyika in southern Tanzania.

Source: ESPRESSOCOFFEEGUIDE.COM