History & Origins
Edelweiss Estate stands as part of a remarkable multi-generational coffee legacy established in 1955 by Mr. B.N. Vohora, with the estate itself having been in the Vohora family since the end of World War II.
Neel Vohora is a third-generation Tanzanian of Indian heritage, and his family has been in the Tanzanian coffee business since the end of the second World War, with the family export business based in Arusha having more than 60 years experience in the country.
The patriarch arrived from India, first working for the British colonists as a farm manager prior to the nation’s independence.
The 600 acre estate, called Edelweiss, is perched on the slopes of the Ngorongoro Caldera (the largest unbroken caldera in the world), a protected wildlife refuge for the endangered black rhino and UNESCO World Heritage site.
Since 1971, the Vohora’s have owned about 1000 acres of farmland on the southern exterior slopes of the Ngorongoro caldera near the town of Karatu in Tanzania’s lush rift valley.
Today the operation spans three generations of the family and maintains full vertical integration from seed to cup, with Rainforest Alliance certification.
Terroir & Growing Conditions
The estate sits at elevations between 1,600-1,850 meters above sea level on the southern slopes of the Ngorongoro Caldera, cultivated on volcanic loam soils.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area features a subtropical climate influenced by altitude, with temperatures that are mild during the day and cool at night, and the crater’s rim located at about 2,300 meters above sea level experiences average daily temperatures of about 16°C from October to April.
The Ngorongoro Crater rim is over 2,200 metres high and swathed in cloud most days of the year, with the elevation creating lower temperatures than the surrounding areas.
The area experiences a mild, temperate climate with two rainy periods: the short rains from November to December, followed by the long rains from March to May.
The crystal-clear untreated water from the forest along with the climate and exceptionally fertile volcanic soil all contribute to the vast growth and uniquely mild flavoured coffee.
Edelweiss estate is based on the slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO world heritage site and haven for scores of wildlife including elephant, rhino, lions and numerous antelope, with a mixture of exceptional terroir, climate, and good farming practices driving the farms to produce consistently exceptional coffees.
Processing & Production
The estate employs fully washed processing after pulping and fermenting, with coffee dried on raised beds.
Their “hands on approach” allows them to control every process and provide full traceability of all coffees, from daily picking, pulping, fermenting, drying and delivery. However, the Vohora family has developed experimental processing methods including a unique “Golden Honey” process and other proprietary techniques that Neel has asked not to be divulged in their exact details.
The estate also produces experimental anaerobic fermentation lots they call “Winey” processing, where carbohydrates (mucilage sugars) are turned into acids through anaerobic fermentation.
Their “Fruit and Spice” process involves experimental triple fermentation, anaerobic processing and sun drying, with coffee anaerobically fermented in parchment for 3 days and then fast sun drying.
Recent years have seen significant farm renovation including intercropping macadamia trees for shade and income diversity, with mill innovations vastly improving water management and quality control from picking to export.
Cup Profile & Tasting Notes
Edelweiss Estate coffees present lemony floral notes upfront giving the cup a nice sweet crispness at lighter roast points with a fruity overtone, while semi-sweet chocolate spice notes balance the cup out, developing into a plethora of tones as the roast progresses toward medium or borderline dark.
The estate produces spicy coffees with higher acidity, exhibiting Tanzanian coffee’s unique chocolate and spice factor.
The peaberry lots offer a very clean, smooth and rich cup that appeals to almost every coffee drinker, with a little hint of new crop acidity accentuated at lighter roast points and soft fruit tones at all but extremely light or dark roasts.
Their experimental “Golden Honey” process produces notes of raspberry, blueberry, blackberries, soft fruits of the forest, with lingering citrus, cacao, and ale.
The “Winey” processed lots exhibit rich and syrupy body with low and sweet acidity, soft and curranty when hot, with sugars like mead, berry notes, and a long citrus finish upon cooling.
Dark roasts maintain smoothness not often found in some dark roasts, while lighter roasts provide nice clean cups with some acidity, and darker roasts work great with smooth, strong chocolate, spice, and smoke in the cup profile.