From: Kirinyaga, Kenya
Varietal: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian
Process: Washed
Notes: Cantaloupe, Tangerine, Longan
125g whole coffee beans
First the coffee is picked ripe and de-pulped the same day, then it is normally fermented in open-air tanks made of concrete or cement for 24–48 hours. It's then washed thoroughly using water channels before being soaked underwater for 12–72 hours. It is then spread on raised beds to dry.
I decided to work with the Kii Station for our first coffee ever from Kenya based on their consistency over the years producing amazing washed coffees. Kii Station holds a special place in my heart because it was the first coffee from Kenya I tried. We decided to bring on two different lots from the Kii Station to see how screen grading affects the end cup profile. This is the Peaberry separation lot which contains small round coffee beans. This is a natural mutation that happens in coffee growing where the coffee cherry contains a single round bean instead of two. This coffee is a bright coffee as expected from Kenya. Over days of tasting we tasted notes of cantaloupe, tangerine, longan, mango, and a sweet honey finish.
About the Washing Station
The Kii factory is operated by Rungeto Farmers Cooperative Society (F.C.S.), and serves about 1,215 active farmer members. Farmers in this region began planting coffee in 1953, and the average farmer has about 400 coffee trees on an area of about 1/3rd of a hectare. The contributing farmers' trees sit at an altitude of 1600-1900 MASL. Kii Factory is located in Kirinyaga, Central Kenya and is home to Mt. Kenya. It is forested with a wealth of exotic wildlife receiving 50 inches of rain per year. Many rivers run through the region and the soil is rich and volcanic, providing smallholders and cooperatives with the resources to grow and process some of Kenya's most fruit-forward coffees.
