Kenya Tegu AA Nº 380

Tegu is a highly regarded wet mill near the small town of Karatina in eastern Nyeri County, Kenya. Nestled in the foothills of the Munt Kenya Nationa Park, this spot provides smallholder farmers with excellent conditions for cultivating coffee. Nyeri's rich volcanic soils, mountainous terrain and cool climate slow the maturation of coffee cherries, allowing greater concentrations of sugars and complex acids to develop. Most farmers in the area grow both tea and coffee as cash crops, with coffee varieties typically including SL28, SL34, Batian and Ruiru 11.

Tegu Factory (wet mill) is one of three facilities operated by the Tekangu Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS). Established in 1969, Tekangu FCS currently works with around 1,200 smallholder farmers, most of whom cultivate less than one hectare of land across five villages in the Karatina area. These conditions contribute to the bright, winey, citrus-forward flavours for which Kenyan coffees are renowned. The cooperative focuses on quality, providing strong returns to farmers while promoting sustainable water use during processing.

Smallholders selectively harvest ripe cherries and deliver them to Tegu Factory for processing. Factory workers carefully sort the cherries before they are pulped and fermented for 12 to 16 hours, depending on ambient conditions. Following fermentation, the coffee is soaked in clean water for approximately 24 hours before being moved to raised beds for drying. While this soaking stage was initially used to manage processing capacity during peak harvest periods, it has since been found to improve cup quality, contributing to a cleaner and brighter profile. During drying, the parchment is spread evenly, raked frequently and covered during the hottest parts of the day and overnight to ensure consistent drying and protect it from moisture. This stage typically takes between 7 and 15 days before the coffee is prepared for dry milling and export.