Ngapani, Chiradzulu, Malawi

This coffee comes from a producer in the Chiradzulu district of southern Malawi, one of the most isolated coffee growing regions in the country. On a dry day, it can take about five hours to reach: once out of the nearest city, it is still 34 miles from the nearest main road.

In 1972 they began growing a rotation of tobacco and corn on the estate, then in 1976 they switched to poultry and dairy, and then finally, in 1987, they began growing coffee (and macadamia nuts, too!).

We love the super round and full mouthfeel of the cup. Pleasant earthy notes are surrounded by herbaceous hits like thyme and sage. There is also an incredible sweetness that reminds of warm baking spices, like a ginger cookie with just a hint of lemony citrus. Another positive trait of this coffee is that it is sorted peaberry, meaning that each bean is an almost complete circle, kind of like a football.

• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,900m
• Drying: raised beds
• Varietals: Catimore, Catura, SL 28 Catuai, and Ruiru 11