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In your cup: Delicate and refined, with stone fruit, yellow raisin, and white grape brightness, softened by milk chocolate, fig, and ripe peach sweetness.
Cupping score: 86,5
Mouthfeel: Layered, silky
Varietal: Bourbon N93
Process: Fully Washed
Producer: Umalila Farmers Cooperative
Altitude: 1759 m a.s.l.
Background:
In the Mbeya highlands of Tanzania, at around 1,759 meters above sea level, Umalila Cooperative brings together around 250 smallholder farmers from a cluster of surrounding villages. What started as a fragmented system, where each village processed coffee independently, has evolved into something far more focused and ambitious. Today, the cooperative produces over 160 tonnes of coffee annually, with a clear emphasis on quality, consistency, and long-term sustainability.
A major turning point came in 2021 with the introduction of a Central Processing Unit. This shift transformed how coffee is handled, moving from small-scale, inconsistent methods to a more precise and controlled washed process.
Ripe cherries are carefully delivered, sorted, pulped using eco-friendly machinery, then fermented, washed, and slowly dried on raised beds. The result is a cleaner, more expressive cup that reflects the region’s high-altitude potential.
What makes Umalila particularly exciting right now is its willingness to experiment. Alongside their washed coffees, the cooperative has recently begun producing natural lots for the first time. While early attempts came with challenges, improvements in processing and quality control are already showing promise, opening the door to even more dynamic flavour profiles in the future.
This evolution mirrors a broader shift in Tanzanian coffee. Where once home processing and difficult export conditions limited quality, producers are now embracing modern techniques and infrastructure. Combined with unique local varieties and ideal growing conditions, the potential is clear.
Umalila Cooperative stands as a strong example of that progress—proof that with the right systems in place, smallholder communities can produce coffees that are not only consistent, but genuinely exciting.