The Duke

The Duke
Tanzania

Tasting notes: Earl Grey, lemon zest, grape juice

• Origin: Tanzania
• Region: Karatu
• Farm: Ngila Estate
• Producer: Ngila Estate
• Varietal: Kent
• Process: Fully washed
• Altitude: 1,600 MASL

Delicate and layered, with a real tea-time feel. Earl Grey leads, lemon zest adds a bright acidity, and grape juice brings the sweetness. Black tea, white grape and berry sit underneath, finishing clean and sweet.

The estate
The Duke is grown on the Glenmalure section of Ngila Estate in Karatu, on the edge of the cloud forest around the Ngorongoro Crater. Coffee has been grown here since the 1920s, and the Meyer family has run the estate since 1992. It covers about 100 hectares and borders a protected forest corridor that supports seasonal wildlife migration and biodiversity. The nearby Ngila River feeds seasonal reforestation projects that help reduce erosion and keep the local ecology in balance. The estate is home to a wide range of native wildlife, and it looks after its workers and the surrounding community with fair wages, education support, medical assistance and long-term employment.

The process
This lot is fully washed in the traditional way. Cherries are hand sorted, pulped and fermented as parchment for 12 hours, then washed thoroughly. They're dried on raised beds for 8 to 13 days, depending on the weather, which gives a clean cup.