Iyenga AMCOS Peaberry Washed

This juicy coffee introduces itself with aromas of peach rings, navel orange, and hops. In the cup, we detected notes of peach and elderflower alongside malty sweetness and ruby red grapefruit acidity. Toffee and sage notes emerge in the finish.

This coffee was a July 2024 Roaster's Choice selection.

Details

Producer: Iyenga AMCOS Farm: 193 Smallholders Region: Songwe Altitude: 1,675-1,900 masl | 5,495-6,234 feet Varietal: Bourbon, Jackson Bourbon Process: Washed Roast: Light-Medium Notes: Peach, Malt, Ruby Red Grapefruit

The Story

Imported by our friends at Crop to Cup:

"Founded in the wake of the Tanzanian Cooperative Act of 2003, Iyenga AMCOS (Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society) now has 193 registered members. These are smallholders, none farming more than 5 hectares. Most members are within a short walk of the washing station. Still, during harvest the group organizes trucks and motorbikes to pick up cherry and make sure that all is pulped within 8 hours of harvest. A government-granted Penagos UCBE 500 depulper helps conserve water, which is critical in this area. Access to water is one of Iyenga’s biggest challenges, especially during the dry season. Conversations during annual meetings include ideas for damming a local river or creating a rainwater reservoir.

"Iyenga’s elected board has a reputation for capable management, as evidenced by their collection services and pulping standards. They have proven their ability to work towards long-term goals, and have taken on quality as their next objective.

"Because of this, Iyenga is starting to build a name for itself based on quality—in 2019 they won the Taste of Harvest Competition with their AA and PB (peaberry) coffees. One of our projects with them now is to expand drying bed capacity—a bottleneck in quality production, and necessary for our goal of increasing drying times."

The Peaberry Mutation

Peaberries are the result of a natural mutation in which only one of two seeds inside the coffee cherry is fertilized. Instead of two coffee beans with flat faces and round backs developing within the cherry, a single rounded bean is the result.

Peaberries constitute a small percentage of each harvest and they are typically sorted into peaberry-only lots for consistency during the roasting process, as they are denser than regular coffee beans.

The Iyenga AMCOS Peaberry Washed represents a distinct offering from the Songwe region of Tanzania. Produced by the Iyenga AMCOS cooperative, this lot consists of Bourbon varietal beans, a plant type historically celebrated for its balanced sweetness and complex acidity. Because these beans are peaberries—a natural mutation where only one seed develops inside the coffee cherry—they often roast more evenly than standard flat beans. This specific selection was prepared using the washed process, a method that typically highlights the inherent clarity and brightness of the bean.

Sourced by PT's Coffee Roasting, this coffee presents a profile characterized by peach, malt, and ruby red grapefruit. While individual experiences vary, those looking to better identify these specific nuances may find the flavor wheel a helpful tool for mapping these descriptors. Grown at elevations between 1675 and 1900 masl, this Tanzanian coffee showcases the unique terroir of the Songwe highlands.