Kenya - AB Gathaithi #046

Background

We welcome the new season of Kenyan harvests with this stunner from the well-known Gathaithi Factory in Nyeri, Kenya, a region that produces intense, complex, and very fruity coffees. This lot is incredibly juicy, sweet and dense, truly reminding us of that favourite childhood drink, Ribena!

1600 smallholder farmers send their cherries to this wet mill for processing, each growing about 100-250 trees. The farmers predominantly cultivate SL cultivars, with a small portion of Ruiru 11. 

The soil in Nyeri is primarily Nitisol, which is rich and volcanic, making it superior to other tropical soils for growing coffee. This coffee was fermented for 16-24 hours under shade, then washed and graded by density before being soaked in clean water again for 16-18 hours. The coffee is then sun-dried for up to 21 days on African drying beds, and covered with plastic during mid-day and night for protection.

In Kenya, coffee production is driven by quality and transparency. Farmers have the freedom to choose which wet mill they want to deliver to, and mills that produce higher quality coffees fetch higher prices. The factories can then attract more farmers who receive a second payment based on sales prices. Everything in the Kenyan coffee system is separated into small lots and different grades. Farmers also know exactly how much of the sales price goes back to the factories and cooperatives after processing costs.