In keeping with our pursuit of great African
coffees last fall, we are excited to announce our second release this year, a stellar washed coffee from
Kenya! Our most delicious offering from Kenya over the past several years, this coffee comes to us from
Kiviuvi Washing station in the central county of Embu. The washing station is owned and operated by the
Kivuivi Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS), who also contribute from their small (averaging less than 1
hectare and 200 to 300 trees) farms. The cultivars in this lot are both now-classic Kenyans (SL28 and
SL34 developed by Scott Laboratories in the 1930s-1940s) and newer-developed Kenyan varieties that are
resistant to pests and disease without sacrificing cup quality (Batian and Ruiru 11). The FCS members
take great care to make sure that their farms and washing station are sustainable and follow Good
Agricultural Practices, a program developed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to ensure “safe
and healthy …agricultural products, while taking into account economic, social, and environmental
sustainability.” (fao.org) The handpicked cherries from the FCS members are brought to the Kiviuvi
Washing station, meticulously visually sorted and floated to select only the ripest cherries, pulped,
fermented for about 24 hours, then fully washed and soaked in clean water before being carefully dried
on raised beds for 7 days.
How It Tastes:
This is the kind of Kenya that you write home about. Full bodied and complex,
the dried aroma is reminiscent of a rich tomato bisque, with a hearty, full body in the brewed cup,
swirled with notes of Pomelo orange, lemongrass, molasses sweetness, and a twinge of warm apple pie.
How to Brew It:
This coffee is intended for brewing using filter or immersion methods, using
a 1:15 coffee to water ratio, at a temperature of 197-203 degrees. This coffee is not intended for
espresso due to its high acidity.
CountryKenya
RegionEmbu
FarmKiviuvi Washing Station
Altitude1100 - 2100 Meters
VarietalsBatian, Ruiru 11, SL28, SL34
Production MethodWashed
Roast LevelLight
Kiviuvi
Kenya
Tasting Notes
Red grapefruitPomelo OrangeLemongrassApple
pieCitrus acidityFull bodied
