​Episode 446 on Monday the 29th of May, 2017. Malawi Msese AAA + AA Washed

In My Mug Audio

Msese wetmill is part of South East Mzima Cooperative Society and is one of a few washing stations that form the coop in the Msese zone in North-central Malawi. The mill processes an average of 15,000kg of coffee cherries per year sourced from 60 farmers of the Ngoni & Tonga tribes. These producers are subsistence farmers for whom coffee represents an important part of the local economy. They also grow maize, beans and soya - though premium specialty coffee remains a vital cash crop allowing these farmers to provide for their families.

The Mzuzu Co-operative Union’s aim is that all small-holder farmers are guaranteed...

• Accommodation which is iron-roofed, cement-floored, plastered and well-ventilated
• Food security (three decent meals a day)
• Adequate clothing and bedding for their families
• Education for their children

The coffee is wet processed, where the fully ripe cherries are...

• Pulped
• Fermented for 12-48 hours (depending on climatic conditions)
• Washed
• Dried slowly over 2-3 weeks on raised African beds

The coffee is then delivered to the dry mill where it is rested in parchment before being hulled, cleaned, graded by bean size and handpicked before being bagged in GrainPro for export.

Msese is located on the Southern tip of the South Viphya Plateau, between the Kahingina Forest Reserve & the Viphya Complex Forest Reserve. The altitude generally ranges between 1,200 & 1,300 metres above sea level with some areas rising up to 1,700m. To the east is Lake Malawi, one of the ‘African Great Lakes’ constituting the Great Rift Valley which runs through the east of the continent.

Malawi is one of the world’s least developed countries. In many places the roads are poor, making the area very difficult to reach in the rainy season. Electricity is scarce and access to drinking water and medical facilities still presents a challenge to the local population.

In the cup this starts off very floral with a delicate fruit sweetness, this shifts towards kiwi fruit before finishing with a big glug of chocolate milk.

• Country: Malawi
• Region: Northern
• Zone: Msese
• Mill: Msese
• Coop: South East Mzima
• Contributing farmers: 60
• Altitude: 1,453 m.a.s.l.
• Varietals: Geisha, Catimor & Nyika
• Grade: AAA + AA
• Processing method: Washed
• Drying method: Raised African beds
• Drying time: 2-3 weeks
• Average rainfall: 1,200 - 2,000mm average per year
• Soil: Acidic sandy loam & clay

CUPPING NOTES Floral, sweet, kiwi, chocolate milk.

Clean Cup: (1-8): 7.5
Sweetness: (1-8): 6.5
Acidity: (1-8): 7
Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6.5
Flavour: (1-8): 7
Aftertaste: (1-8): 6
Balance: (1-8): 7
Overall: (1-8): 7.5
Correction: (+36): +36

Total: (max 100): 91