Tanzania Iyenga AB

The Flavour Profile

There's something quietly special about this Tanzania. A single origin specialty coffee from the Songwe region in southern Tanzania, roasted to a light-medium roast by Nick in our roastery just outside Canterbury — and it shows in the cup. Expect rich blackberry and brownie sweetness upfront, with a warm caramel finish and just a whisper of hibiscus and orange peel lifting the whole thing. It's bright without being sharp, sweet without being heavy, and complex in a way that keeps you coming back for another sip.

The body is medium and smooth — structured enough to feel satisfying, light enough to feel clean. There's a juiciness to it that makes every sip feel lively and fresh.

Drinking it black?
This is where this Tanzania really shines. Brewed black as a pour over, V60, or AeroPress, the blackberry and brownie notes come forward beautifully, with that caramel warmth rounding out the finish. If you love fruity, sweet, complex filter coffees — this is one to try.

Drinking it with milk?
Add milk and the caramel and brownie notes deepen into something almost dessert-like — rich, smooth and comforting. It works beautifully as a flat white or latte, where the sweetness really blooms.

This fully washed, light-medium roast single origin coffee is freshly roasted to order by Nick in our roastery, just outside Canterbury — it never sits on a shelf. Buy a kilo and get 10% off, or ask us to grind it for your favourite brewing method. We're real people, not bots — just ask!

 

The Little Details

Tanzania Iyenga AB comes from various smallholder farms of 1–2 hectares in the Iyenga village, Mbozi District, Songwe region of southern Tanzania, at 1,600–1,671 metres above sea level. The coffee is grown and processed through the Iyenga Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (AMCOS), established in 2003 under the Tanzanian Cooperative Act and today comprising 292 members — 34 women and 258 men. Varietals are Kent, Bourbon and Compact, fully washed, AB grade. In 2023, coffee from this AMCOS placed 2nd and 3rd at the Tanzania Fine Coffees Competition.

About the Process

At harvest, cooperative members hand-pick only ripe red cherries and deliver them to the Iyenga Central Processing Unit. On arrival, the cherries are carefully assessed and submerged in tanks of water — underripe cherries float and are removed, leaving only the best fruit to continue.

The cherries are then fed through an eco-pulper, which strips away the outer fruit skin and mucilage. They are washed thoroughly through channels to remove any remaining fruit residue, then graded once more for size and quality. It's a rigorous process — nothing gets through that shouldn't.

The washed beans are spread onto raised drying beds and left to dry in the open Tanzanian sun for 9 to 10 days. Shade nets are drawn over the beds during the harshest midday hours to protect the beans from heat stress and ensure even, controlled drying. This careful management is what gives the cup its remarkable clarity and clean sweetness.

Once dried to the correct moisture level, the beans are milled, hulled and graded — ready for export. From the smallholder farms of Songwe to your cup, every step has been handled with care. That's what you taste.