Zambia AAA/AA Mafinga Hills RFA – Honey Processed

Description

Zambia’s Northern Province is home to the country’s highlands, where ancient volcanic soils and Honey processing help produce the complex flavor profile of this AAA/AA graded RFA certified coffee.

The difference between fully washed coffee and coffee that is naturally processed is not a fine line, it is a realm. Honey processing explores this realm by removing the skin and pulp but not the mucilage before drying. The results are sticky processing but more sweetly savory flavors, like chocolate and caramel. It is an exploration worthy of the country that is home to the smoke that thunders.

Long before Dr. Livingston arrived to name Victoria Falls after the queen, the people who had lived around this wonder of the natural world for generations had already named it more appropriately, “the smoke that thunders.” The falls thunder into the Zambesi River, which flows east toward Mozambique. But before the river crosses the border, take a left and head north up the Luangwa River. You’ll move through land rich in biodiversity, including the world’s largest concentration of hippos. As the river meanders and the altitude rises you will reach Mafinga plateau and Zambia’s largest coffee growing region which stretches all the way to the border with Tanzania.

Tasting Notes:
A very cool cup. Bright, crisp and clean cup- similar to the washed processed but a little more acidic and a little less of a spice/herbal note, it is mostly replaced with a great but not overly done fruity accent, a little melon/strawberry tone on the front end of the cup. The smoky bakers chocolate undertone mixes nicely with the soft fruit tones and almost creates a little caramel-like spin on the cup.

Roasting Notes:
A very fun one to play around with, lighter roasts get more fruit and citrus acidity, very jazzy but a full city roast gets more of a caramel chocolate cup with just a hint of fruit and muted citrus, also very tasty. Dark roasts are interesting and good but burn out most of the tasty honey processed attributes.