King's Gambit Coffee

Madagascar Soavinandriana

Limited Reserve Microlot

Tasting Notes: Apricot, Caramel, Lemon Tea, Raw Sugar, Agave

Our first-ever coffee from Madagascar and one of the most unique origins we've had the opportunity to roast.

Grown in the Itasy region and produced by approximately 40 smallholder farmers, this washed lot is a reminder that extraordinary coffee doesn't always need to be loud. Delicate, sweet, and remarkably approachable, Madagascar Soavinandriana offers notes of apricot, caramel, lemon tea, raw sugar, and agave with a clean, balanced finish.

What makes this coffee special isn't just its rarity but how easy it is to enjoy. While Madagascar remains one of the least represented origins in specialty coffee, this lot delivers a familiar sweetness and clarity that feels both unexpected and comforting.

Whether brewed as a pour-over, drip coffee, or enjoyed as your daily cup, this is a coffee that invites exploration without demanding it.

Limited quantities available.

Coffee Details:

Roast Level: Light-Medium
Tasting Notes: Apricot, Caramel, Lemon Tea, Raw Sugar, Agave
Origin: Itasy Region, Madagascar
Elevation: 1400 MASL
Varietals: Red & Yellow Bourbon, Catimor
Process: Washed

Farm & Producer Notes:

This coffee was produced by smallholder farmers organized through the Madagascar Coffee Company (MCC), an organization working to rebuild and strengthen coffee production throughout Madagascar.

After harvest, only ripe cherries are selected before undergoing overnight dry fermentation. The coffee is then depulped, fermented underwater for approximately 24 hours, washed clean, and dried slowly on raised beds.

MCC employs local seasonal workers and maintains year-round field support through regional coordinator Bina Lalaina, who oversees farmer relationships and quality control.

One of the aspects we most appreciate about this project is its commitment to transparency. Producers were paid 4,500 Malagasy ariary per kilogram of ripe cherry, creating clear quality incentives while supporting long-term investment in coffee production throughout the region.

This lot represents not only exceptional coffee quality, but the continued revitalization of one of the world's most overlooked coffee origins.

Signature Selection: The Story Behind Each Bean

Every now and then, a coffee crosses our cupping table that makes us stop and pay attention.

Madagascar Soavinandriana was one of those coffees.

Coffee from Madagascar is exceptionally uncommon in specialty coffee, and high-quality Arabica lots are even harder to find. In fact, tucked into a container carrying hundreds of bags of robusta were just ten small jute sacks of washed Arabica.

That story alone caught our attention.

But rarity isn't enough. What ultimately convinced us was the cup itself.

Sweet, balanced, and surprisingly approachable, this coffee offered notes of apricot, caramel, lemon tea, and raw sugar with a clean finish that reminded us why discovering new origins is so exciting. It wasn't unusual for the sake of being unusual. It was simply delicious.

As a roastery, we're always searching for coffees that tell a story while still delivering an exceptional cup. Madagascar Soavinandriana gave us both.

It's our first coffee from Madagascar, and with such limited availability, we're not sure when we'll have the opportunity to offer another.

That's exactly the kind of coffee we created our Limited Reserve Microlot program for.