Kenya

Description

What can I say about Kenyan coffees? They're just so tasty! This one is juicy, with a bright citrus acidity, a caramel sweetness that lingers on the tongue, and a slight tartness that reminds you of dried cranberry. The finish is clean and tea-like, and the aroma off the brew is something else entirely. This is a fun cup to get lost in, from smell, to taste, to finish.

Details

Producer: Othaya Farmers Cooperative Society
Washing Station: Ichamama Factory
Region: Karima Hill, Nyeri, Kenya
Variety: SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru 11
Grade: Peaberry
Process: Double Washed (Kenya Wet Process) 
Drying: Raised bed, sun-dried
Elevation: 1,750 m
Harvest: November–January

About the producers

This coffee comes from the Ichamama Factory, one of 20 washing stations under the Othaya Farmers Cooperative Society in Nyeri. Founded in 1956, Othaya is one of the oldest and most progressive cooperatives in Kenya, operating its own dry mill and roastery and remaining unified through decades of change. Ichamama is one of its most productive stations, with nearly 1,000 farmer members.

Where it comes from

Ichamama sits at 1,750 meters on Karima Hill in Nyeri, named after the nearby river that supplies the water used for processing. Nyeri is one of Kenya's most respected coffee-growing regions, and the high altitude and rich soils surrounding the station are a big part of what makes this cup so bright and expressive.

Processing notes

Double washed (Kenya wet process), meaning the cherries are sorted, depulped, and fermented twice before drying on raised beds in the sun. This lot is a Peaberry, meaning after processing, the small round beans were separated from the flat beans by screen size. Peaberries are often associated with a more concentrated, intense flavor, and this cup is a great example of why.