Epoch 9 - Ngorongoro

Some coffees taste “clean.” This one tastes like standing on the edge of a volcano, breathing in cool air and warm sweetness at the same time.

From Gaia Farm on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, this anaerobic Kent lot is all structure and glow — a coffee shaped by high elevation, volcanic loam soil, and a family that has been building Tanzania’s coffee story for generations.

Expect Pistachio, Orange Juice, Cherry, with a hint of Jasmine, deep sweetness, and a cup that feels composed, expressive, and quietly wild.

Designed for slow mornings, focused brews, and anyone who loves a coffee with a sense of place.

THE STORY
Gaia Farm is a 620-hectare family-owned estate in the Karatu District of northern Tanzania, cultivated along the outer rim of the Ngorongoro Crater — the largest unbroken caldera in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.

The farm is managed by siblings Neel and Kavita Vohora, third-generation Tanzanian coffee growers whose family has been in the coffee business since the end of the Second World War. Their roots run deep here: since 1971, the Vohoras have owned farmland on the southern exterior slopes of the crater, stewarding the land with a long-view approach that balances production with preservation.

Gaia isn’t just a beautiful place to grow coffee — it’s an intentional operation. Of the 620 hectares, 260 are planted with coffee, divided into 50 distinct blocks by microclimate and variety. That structure allows the team to harvest and process with a level of precision you can taste in the cup.

WHAT MAKES GAIA DIFFERENT
This is a farm that thinks beyond yield. Alongside coffee, the Vohoras are diversifying into macadamia and honey, providing temporary housing for harvest labour, and supporting local smallholders by allocating land for growing beans — a mutually beneficial crop that fixes nitrogen in the soil, helping keep the farm’s ecosystem healthy season after season.

Quality is managed end-to-end. Kavita, a licensed Q-grader, oversees evaluation through their dry mill and export operations in Arusha, while Neel leads farm management and experimentation on the estate itself.

HOW IT'S PROCESSED
This lot undergoes anaerobic cherry fermentation, then is depulped and slow-dried on raised beds.

The goal is clarity without losing depth — a cup that holds structure and sweetness, while lifting aromatics and amplifying character in a way that feels deliberate, not loud.

COFFEE DETAILS
Origin: Karatu District, Arusha Region, Tanzania
Farm: Gaia Farm
Producers: Neel & Kavita Vohora
Variety: Kent
Altitude: 1650–1800 MASL
Process: Anaerobic cherry fermentation, depulped & dried on raised beds
Tasting Notes: Pistachio, Orange Juice, Cherry, Hint of Jasmine