Description
A lovely natural processed coffee. Fruity, floral, sweet and chocolaty. Unlike the anaerobic natural, this cup will contain pretty normal natural processed tones. Far less wild but just as tasty.
Kateshi coffee estate, as one of the first coffee estates in Zambia, was established in 1972 close to Kateshi village. Back then, its wet processing facilities represented the heart of coffee production in northern Zambia having been the central mill for all coffee produced in the region. It is also award-winning; its natural and honey placing both 1st and 2nd in Zambia’s annual Taste of Harvest competition.
Local Community is at the heart of the estate’s vision. They provide daily access to safe drinking water to over 20,000 locals and supports 3 schools that provide 1,500+ students with primary and secondary education. Also on site is our health clinic, the only such facility for 30km. Complete with a pharmacy and delivery room, the clinic provides free basic healthcare to over 4,000 community members and sees an average of 95 visitors per day.
Kateshi has been recognized for boldly challenging gender stereotypes in Zambia, being the first and only coffee estate to employ women for traditionally male-dominated roles such as driving tractors, bull-dozers and road graders. Oh, and we also sponsor a football team, the Kateshi Coffee Bullets who compete in the Zambian 1st Division.
Tasting Notes: This is a well-balanced natural coffee: it opens with red fruits and a touch of lemon, but without becoming sharp; the cup is grounded in a chocolatey and sweet base, with a pleasant floral nuance and a unique sweetness that may be reminiscent of melon. In light to medium roasts, it maintains this interplay between fruit and sweetness, while as the roast darkens, the acidity recedes and cocoa/cacao, chocolate, and spices take center stage; in dark roasts, the body becomes more prominent, and the profile shifts towards semi-sweet chocolate, with a more roasted character and a spicy finish, leaving just a hint of fruit as it cools (ideal for those who want a “strong” coffee with a subtle tropical vibe).
Roasting Notes: This coffee is quite forgiving during roasting, but being a natural process coffee, it produces a fair amount of chaff and may show slight inconsistencies, so it’s advisable to clean the chaff collector thoroughly before and during the roasting session. The first crack tends to be prolonged, and the beans can darken quickly on the surface, which sometimes leads to cooling too soon if you’re aiming for a light roast. In light to medium roasts, you retain more “fruit + mild acidity” with chocolate in the background; in medium roasts, it tends to be the most complete (more body, cocoa, spices, still with a touch of acidity); and in dark roasts, it’s perfect for those who want low acidity, a robust body, and a dominant chocolate/cacao profile with spices and a slightly peppery sensation in the aftertaste, while still retaining subtle tropical notes.
John Sullivan (verified owner) –
I can’t get enough of this one. This is fantastic as a light roast for espresso or V60. Flavor notes: PBJ with sweet prune jelly and a thin smear of Nutella.