Malawi Mzuzu

Malawi is just beginning to gain credibility in the specialty coffee market. Mzuzu is a fair-trade certified women's co-op in the Northern part of the country across the border from Tanzania. The co-op operates with a platform of gender equality, community improvement, and health education. This year they are building a hospital with the help of coffee premiums.

Much like nearby Tanzania, Malawi sorts their beans by size, which helps these large AA sized beans roast evenly. It's a washed coffee, and the beans look nice with almost no discoloration or defects to be found. The coffee shares many similarities to a Tanzania -- it is best at a light to medium roast. It's less fruity, but has good body and complexity. We are tasting some tartness like a green grape, with floral notes like rose, and some beef broth (in a good way). I would compare it most closely to a Tanzania. There is a gentle citrus lemongrass undertone to it, just the right initial zip of acidity that fades away, a pleasant juiciness in the taste. They are pretty easy to roast -- they won't blow you away, but it does have unique and pleasant flavor.

Roasting Tips:

This bean cracks later, and develops for longer, than you might expect. Don't be alarmed if color progression and cracks come at a higher temperature than you're used to. I recommend speeding up and shortening the middle of the roast to bring out more acidity, which gives the coffee more character; but slow it down and don't skimp at the end while it is developing flavor. We roast it similarly to a Kenya -- a shade darker -- roughly 40 seconds past the end of the 1st cracks. Lots of heat in the middle of the roast. Err too light and it's more tart than sweet. Err too dark and it loses it's african character. This is not a particularly pleasant coffee at dark roasts but it does impress when prepared as espresso. 

Tanzania is one of our favorite coffees to blend with because it adds a sweetness and acidity to anything you pair it with. Not surprisingly, this Malawi also is a particularly nice coffee in blends, seemingly improving just about anything you stick it with (at 20% to 30% levels so as not to overpower the blend). However, it has disappointed us as espresso.

A wonderful cause to support, one of our favorite co-ops to buy from.

June 2024 arrival.