What flavours can you expect?

We will cut right to the chase. This medium-roasted delight has a classic milk chocolate base, with a swirl of toffee apple (yum), and a hint of hazelnuts (double yum). But that’s not all, a squeeze of juicy orange adds that perfect amount of fruity acidity. We’re drooling.

What magic brings these incredible flavours to life?

With coffee, the flavour comes from three main things: the varietal(s)/origin of the beans, how they’ve been processed and finally, how they’ve been roasted! So, without further ado, let’s dive right in and explore these three areas!

Where do these beans come from?

The wonderful folks at Sable Farm in Southern Malawi have cultivated these beans. For 30 years, this estate has been growing coffee and macadamia nuts alongside dairy, so they know what they are doing!

Like other African countries, coffee thrives in Malawi due to the East African Rift Valley. This natural feature provides high altitudes, nutrient-rich volcanic soil and the perfect climate for the Arabica plant. But that’s not all it takes to create top-notch coffee!

Factors like sound farming techniques, the best processing methods, and even the way the cherries are picked can affect the final flavour of the cup. Luckily for us, Sable Farm gets five stars across the board in this department! They’ve also cracked the code when it comes to the varietals of coffee they grow, so let’s find out what this coffee is made from!

What varietal(s) are they?

Let’s begin with the Batian variety of coffee. This plant is known for its tall growth, high yield, and larger-than-average beans, mainly when cultivated at high altitudes. Additionally, it has a strong resistance to the deadly rust disease, making it an excellent choice for smallholder farmers who depend on a good harvest for their income.

Next, we have the Catimor 129, which is known to grow mainly in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This coffee plant is classified as a dwarf variety, as its branches are much shorter than those of the Batian coffee plant. However, the beans remain large, and the yield potential is very high. Catimor 129 plants thrive best at high altitudes and are resistant to both rust and coffee berry disease.

Let’s discuss one of the most popular varieties of Arabica coffee: Caturra. Caturra is a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety and, like the Catimor 129 plant, it features a short growth pattern, falling into the dwarf category. Despite its smaller size, Caturra still produces a good yield, with average-sized beans of high quality. However, a significant downside of Caturra is its extreme susceptibility to rust and coffee berry disease.

Finally, we have SL28, a coffee variety that was initially grown in Kenya but has since spread to other regions in Africa and Latin America. This tall-growing coffee plant produces large beans and consistently yields a high output. The quality of the coffee is particularly outstanding when grown at high altitudes. However, like the Caturra variety, SL28 has limited natural protection against rust and coffee berry disease.

How do you protect coffee against rust and coffee berry disease?

Known to be the deadliest and most catastrophic infections for the coffee plant, rust and coffee berry disease can wipe out entire harvests in the blink of an eye. But what are they exactly? You can probably guess what coffee berry disease is (it does exactly what it says on the tin), but what is Rust?

Rust is a type of fungus called Hemileia Vastatrix and has been a major issue across the coffee belt since the 1970s when it broke out in Brazil. Since then, it has spread, with one notable epidemic being in 2011 when it destroyed 70% of coffee farms in Latin America, causing millions of pounds of damage.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Over the decades, farmers have been combining and experimenting with different varieties of coffee plants, some of which show more resistance to this fungus, like the Catimor 129. This is a mix of the Caturra and Timor Hybrid 1343. Since then, it has been used to parent other varieties, like the Ruiru 11, as it has shown superior resistance to rust.

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How was this coffee roasted?

We wanted to maximise the flavour of this coffee, and we believe that roasting it to a medium level achieves this perfectly! Whenever we observe tasting notes that include chocolate and toffee, our artisan roaster, Jordyn, knows that the beans must start caramelising to highlight those flavours. However, we also wanted to preserve the fruity acidity, so he made sure not to roast beyond the medium level, avoiding any risk of reaching a medium/dark roast.