Malawi Pamwamba Coffee Beans

Malawi Pamwamba comes from the Mpanga and Ngapani estates. They were established in 1988, after lands were transferred from a government company back into private hands. Both are Rainforest Alliance certified.

In Southern Malawi, the estates sit at the border of Malawi and Mozambique, near the foothills of the 1,730-meter Msondole Mountain. Three rivers naturally run through the properties — the Mpeni River, the Ngapani River the Nsondole River. The Mpeni has since been dammed and supports the farms’ drip irrigation systems.

Both Pamwamba estates have deep, fertile red soil that runs into well-drained sandy loam and clay. A tree-planting program continues to add lines of indigenous trees — including African Red Mahogany, also known as the Khyana Nyasica — between coffee plots. The ecosystem also benefits from 500 hectares of Macadamia trees.

The coffees are fully washed and naturally sun dried. The flowering is triggered after the first rains in early November. After the early-flowering fly crop, mature cherries are picked by hand, starting in late May.

The main crop is harvested from June through August, with a final end-crop in late September. The harvested cherry is pulped at the estates’ wet mill and sun dried until the optimum moisture content is reached. The dry parchment is then held and conditioned for approximately six weeks before being sent for dry milling and grading.

Cupping notes: Smooth body, citric acidity, floral, chocolate, tropical fruits, citrus, sweet.

Region: Southern Region

Growing Altitude: 1,050 - 1,150 metres above sea level

Arabica Varieties: SL28, Catimor

Milling Process: Washed, Sun-dried

Flavour Profile: Chocolate, Tropical Fruit, Citrus, Sweet

Body: Smooth

Acidity: Citric