Tanzania Glanmalure Special Crater Filter Roast
Tanzania Glanmalure Special Crater Lot
When I was working through the profiles of this lot, I found myself thinking about how coffees like this are a unique expression of terroir. This might sound a bit “hairy-fairy” but if you think about great coffees like Maranhao, Kenya Thiriku, or Suke Quto, as examples. These are all character coffees in their own right and expressions of the soil, through vegetation and careful processing. This is something that I take for granted, all too often.
You may have picked up that I am a big fan of this lot. Tanzania has had a rollercoaster ride of popularity over the years in specialty coffee. The more I think about it, the more I can see the value and uniqueness of these coffees.
The coffees that we have bought from Vera at Ngila are so dependably clean and delicious that I am already lining up for the next crop.
Top Trumps
Farm: Ngila Estate.
Area: Arusha Northern Tanzania
Process: Fully washed (and shade-grown)
Varietal: Kent
Altitude: 1560-1640 Meters above sea level
Roast: Light filter.
(Filter) Cup potential:🥣
Aromatics: Red Berries | Body: Light |Acidity: Fruits of the forest |
Xingy, tangy bright juice hits the tongue with the optimism of a fine, clean cup. Shortly followed by soft red berry acidity that initially has a little citrus on the finish. On cooling there is a malty brown sugar phase. This is a coffee that is all about subtle changes. In the next cooling phase, there are currants, black tea, and cocoa, which would be very easy to miss if you weren’t of a patient nature.
Recipe: 60-65g a litre. Stunning in a Clever dripper or V60.
Farm Info
The Ngila Estate is based on the slopes of the Ngorongoro crater and they have been growing coffee for over 100 years. Ngila has a set-aside 80 hectares of preserved rainforest that reaches 1800 meters above sea level. Ngila is certified by the Rainforest Alliance and uses natural insecticides, like Neem extract, and mineral fertilisers.
Glanmalure is the name of a specific area of Ngila and this is a well-developed lot from the main crop that is representative of the farm. Ngila determines the trees that they are going to pick using a Brix meter, picking is selective and sorting is very intensive.
