Chisi is a washing station in the northern Misuku region of Malawi near the border with Southern Tanzania. The station serves 79 smallholder families and takes its name, which means ‘darkness’ in the local Ndali language, from the hillside it is built on – so called because a unique micro-climate means the hill is often covered in cloud and noticeably cooler than the surrounding region.

This micro-climate is crucial for the coffee strain grown by the farmers. The zone grows more geisha variety than it’s neighbours and the climate in Chisi, along with its altitude which stretches up to 1850m asl, is more suited to geisha than neighbouring zones. This pulping station has stand out quality in terms of Malawi for me and showcases what the country can produce in terms of quality. Some of this is due to the geisha variety but terroir and quality processing also has a role to play.

This specific lot is exclusive to Artisan Roast and comes from a quality improvement initiative run by Coffee Nexus and Imani Development. Time was spent in the region working on improving quality at six pulping stations to help the farmers access higher quality market streams. Coffee cherry selection was exemplary and the impact on the cup in this lot is stunning. A syrupy underlying sweetness runs all the way through the taste complementing the grape like acids that are long and effervescent. The dominant flavours are orange marmalade and plum and a delicate hint of green tea can be found in the background.