Bursting with blackberry notes and hints of orange zest, this AA lot (comprising SL-28, Ruiru and Batian) is a shining expression of Kenyan washed coffee. It comes from the Kainamui washing station, which receives coffee cherries from some 2,000 smallholder member farmers (60% of whom are men and 40% women). The local microclimate - especially the cool evening temperatures - results in the coffee maturing slowly, producing very dense beans with complex acidity and intense sweetness. Fruity, sweet and juicy - we can’t stop drinking it!
Established in 1963, the Kainamui washing station (or “factory”, as they are called in Kenya) is one of three stations run by the New Ngariama Farmers Cooperative Society. Patrick Njogu and his talented team oversees the running of Kainamui. The member producers each cultivate an average of approx. 200 trees at altitudes up to 1,800 M.A.S.L. Many of the producers in Kirinyaga county are second-generation producers, after agricultural reform in Kenya in the 1950s-60s allowed small-holder farmers to purchase land and grow cash crops on their own farms (not only on vast British-owned estates).
This lot is primarily made up of SL-28, one of the most prevalent coffee cultivars in the area. This cultivar is named after Scott Laboratories, the laboratory that promoted its wider distribution in Kenya during the early twentieth century. This lot also contains a small proportion of the hybrid varieties, Ruiru 11 and Batian, which were cultivated as more robust varieties with better disease resistance. Both varieties have been backcrossed with SL-28 and SL-34 to achieve a high cup quality.
Kenya uses a grading system for all its exportable coffee lots - based on the bean size and assumed quality (with quality often linked to size). The grade directly correlates with the price a coffee can attract. This lot is graded as an AA (which means that the beans are screen size 18 and above).
Once harvested, coffee cherries are delivered to Kamanui on the same day, where they are meticulously hand sorted to remove unripe and overripe cherries. The ripe cherries are weighed and recorded, and the farmer receives a receipt of delivery. The coffee is then depulped and fermented for 24-36 hours in the shade. After fermentation, the coffees are washed and graded by density in washing channels - with the densest (and highest quality) beans being separated out from the lighter (lower quality) beans.
The coffee is then transferred to raised drying tables where they are sun dried for 12-20 days (depending on the weather conditions and ambient temperature). As they dry, the coffee is regularly turned to ensure even drying and to identify and remove any defective beans.
We purchased this coffee - our first ever Kenyan coffee - from the importer, Covoya, when it landed in the UK in July 2024. We had learned a lot about the renowned New Ngariama Farmers Cooperative Society, so we were thrilled to release one of their coffees. The co-op also supports its farmer members by offering pre-harvest financing, allowing them to plan and invest in the upcoming crop, and to cover school fees.
For further details on the prices below visit our Transparency Page.
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