Whole Bean
Size: 10oz / 284g
Roast: Light
Recommended Rest: 4-6 weeks from roast date
Tasting Notes: strawberry, basil, grapefruit, black currant

Origin Details

Region: Murang’a, Kenya
Elevation: 1700m
Producer: Kirimahiga Coffee Factory
Process: Washed
Variety: sl28, sl34, ruiru 11

ABOUT THIS COFFEE AND PRODUCER

Kirimahiga Coffee Factory is located in the upper midland zone, about 200 kilometres North of Nairobi. It was registered in 1998, though coffee has been grown there since the ‘60s. There are currently 781 producers supplying coffee to the coffee factory.The main crop runs October through February with the lighter second fly crop in April through May. The rains arrive in two seasons: longer rains between April and June that help grow the main crop and shorter rains between October and November for the fly crop. The area’s altitude is 1700 masl, with temperatures ranging between 18-25 degrees Celsius and rich, red volcanic soil.

After carefully tending their coffee trees all season, Kirimahia’s producers selectively hand-pick ripe red cherries as they reach perfection. Even with all that care, they give a second post-harvest pass, separating ripe cherry from underripes, overripes, and any foreign matter that makes it into the mix. The harvested cherries are delivered for pulping at the wet mill the same day to be wet-processed using fresh, clean water from nearbyKananahu stream.The processing water is recirculated before disposal into evaporation and seepage pits to avoid acidifying local waterways. The pulped beans are fermented for mucilage removal for 16-18 hours, then washed and graded. The parchment is then dried under the sun using moisture meters for consistency. Dry parchment is then hulled, graded, sorted, and bagged.The farms here are mostly very small (1-2 hectares) and adults work the farms while children attend school all day. Schools here cost money, which unfortunately limits access to education and future opportunities in this mostly-poor area. Due to lack of opportunity, much of the young population is migrating en masse to cities in search of better jobs, leaving their parents alone on the farms or even taking their parents and abandoning their farms. This problem gets worse each year, but some producers remain hopeful that coffee can provide good business opportunities for their children.

WHY WE SELECTED THIS COFFEE

We're thrilled by the outstanding harvests emerging from Kenya this year and are excited to share our second Kenyan coffee of the season. This lot exemplifies the classic Kenyan qualities that coffee lovers cherish, with vibrant notes of grapefruit and blackcurrant starting and ending on the palate. Beyond these familiar flavors, it surprises with a deeper complexity compared to our first offering, revealing sweet basil-like florals and the rich, juicy essence of deep red strawberries. Impeccably clean and beautifully balanced, this coffee is a good showcase of the unique and intricate character that makes Kenyan coffee a favorite amongst aficionados.