This Kenyan coffee from the Kirimahiga wet mill has sweet floral and berry notes with refreshing acidity. Expect crisp notes of blueberries with delicate floral aromas.
Producer: New Kiriti Farmers Cooperative Society
Varietal: SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11
Situated at 1,650 meters above sea level, this region is defined by its bright red soils, full of rich nutrients for coffee trees. The high altitude allows for ideal temperatures and rainfall for the slow maturation of coffee cherries. Smallholders in this region grow coffee on small plots of land, around 0.25 hectares, and pick the cherries during harvest to deliver to the mill. There are two harvests in the Murang’a County, the main crop occurring from October-February and a fly crop occurring from April-May.
Once the cherries reach the mill, the coffee is washed with water from the Gondo River. After the cherries are pulped, the coffee is placed in large tanks to soak in water and ferment. This allows for the breakdown of the exterior mucilage, normally lasting overnight. The coffee is then spread evenly on raised tables to dry in the open sun until a targeted moisture content is reached.
Producers and the Factory collectively value sustainability, and various projects have been enacted to reduce environmental impact. Wastewater used for processing is carefully placed into soak pits to seep back into the soil without polluting the local drinking source.
Altitude: 1,700 masl
Process: Fully Washed
Country: Kenya
Region: Murang'a County
Tasting Notes: Floral Honey, Blueberry, Black Tea
B R E W G U I D E
Best Used: 10-24 days post roast
Dose: 20g
Water Amount: 300g
Brew Temperature: 89-91°C
Brew Duration: 60g (40secs) Bloom, 5 Pours of 60g (1:30-2:30 mins)
Farm Information
With nearly 700,000 coffee producers, roughly 70% of which are smallholder producers, Kenya shines as a unique coffee-producing country in East Africa. Within the Murang’a County along the slopes of the Aberdare Range is the Kirimahiga Factory, or wet mill. 781 smallholders in this region contribute coffee cherries to this mill and belong to the New Kiriti Farmers Co- operative Society.
Situated at 1,650 meters above sea level, this region is defined by its bright red soils, full of rich nutrients for coffee trees. The high altitude allows for ideal temperatures and rainfall for the slow maturation of coffee cherries. Smallholders in this region grow coffee on small plots of land, around 0.25 hectares, and pick the cherries during harvest to deliver to the mill. There are two harvests in the Murang’a County, the main crop occurring from October-February and a fly crop occurring from April-May.
Once the cherries reach the mill, the coffee is washed with water from the Gondo River. After the cherries are pulped, the coffee is placed in large tanks to soak in water and ferment. This allows for the breakdown of the exterior mucilage, normally lasting overnight. The coffee is then spread evenly on raised tables to dry in the open sun until a targeted moisture content is reached.
Producers and the Factory collectively value sustainability, and various projects have been enacted to reduce environmental impact. Wastewater used for processing is carefully placed into soak pits to seep back into the soil without polluting the local drinking source.