TRADITIONAL
Nº 223 Kenya Duma
Country: Kenya
Process: Washed
Grown / Region: Nyeri
Altitude: 1600/1850masl
Varietals: Batian, Ruiru 11, SL28, SL34
Producers: Smallholders
Tasting Notes: Blackcurrant, Treacle & Warm Spice
Roast Level: Dark 4/5
FARM NOTES:
This coffee is sourced from Kenya’s Central Province, from the foothills of Mt Kenya and the Aberdare mountain range. The producers here operate on small 1 or 2 hectare farms with as few as 250 trees each.
These smallholder lots are combined at local wet mills where the freshly picked cherry is sorted and processed for sale. The hand-picked cherries are sorted before washing, as well as after, to remove over/under ripe fruit, thus ensuring exceptional quality and consistency of flavour.
The varietals farmed here include SL28 and SL34, which are drought tolerant but susceptible to disease. Therefore the coffee trees have to carefully tended and monitored. If well managed, these varieties can survive for 60-80 years! The variety was selected in a laboratory for its yield and quality and is now synonymous with Kenyan coffee.
A classic Kenyan flavour profile with dominant acidity and stone fruit flavour. Kenyan processing is uniquely focussed on the wet fermentation, and it's thought that this is what gives the region its great reputation for consistency. This coffee’s density can make for difficult roasting, so an extra injection of heat towards the end of the roast allows for good flavour development and a sweet balanced result.
DISCOVERY
Nº 222 Costa Rica Rio Jorco Lobos
Country: Kenya
Process: Washed
Grown / Region: Nyeri
Altitude: 1600/1850masl
Varietals: Batian, Ruiru 11, SL28, SL34
Producers: Smallholders
Tasting Notes: Blackcurrant, Treacle & Warm Spice
Roast Level: Medium 3/5
FARM NOTES:
Carlos Castro and his family took ownership of the farm in 2019. Previously the farm had been a Cup of Excellence award winner, but Carlos and his family have taken the potential of this farm and have made it a more commercial and sustainable success. The farm is home to many natural water sources, and an optimal climate for coffee cultivation.
The semi-washed process allows for excellent cup quality and consistency. The coffee cherries are hand selected and undergo a short fruit fermentation while being transported to the wet mill and over night. The following morning, the coffee is de-pulped and the coffee is left to dry ferment for the remainder of the day. That evening, the coffee is covered with fresh water and left to ferment over night. The following morning, the coffee is agitated within the water to loosen as much of the mucilage as possible before a second rinse with fresh water. The coffee is then patio dried and turned regularly before being mechanically dried to achieve the final desired moisture levels.
Named after the Spanish for wolves, this coffee comes from a farm perfectly situated for fresh water sources, morning sun, and reliable shade and rainfall to ensure a slow and even maturation of the coffee fruit. The lot is semi-washed, so has a rich sweetness and some delicate floral notes too. To enhance this, we aim for a slower ‘sugar-browning’ phase during roasting, whilst retaining some natural acidity and fragrant aromatics.