Description
This wonderful coffee comes to us from the Ngariama community in Kenya’s Kirinyaga County, in the mountainous landscape surrounding Mount Kenya. Here, smallholder farmers tend plots averaging just one to two hectares, growing coffee alongside bananas and maize, with grevillea and macadamia trees providing shade. Their harvests come together at the Kamwangi washing station, which has served the community since 1983.
   
This lot is composed primarily of SL28 and SL34 varieties, with smaller amounts of Ruiru 11 and Batian. Farmers carefully hand-sort their cherries before processing, removing underripe and overripe fruit. The cherries are then depulped and fermented in shaded tanks for 24–36 hours before being washed with water from the Nyamindi River and graded by density. Finally, the coffee is sun-dried on raised beds for 12–20 days, with covers protecting it during the hottest hours and overnight.
On the cupping table, we found notes of orange, vanilla cookie, and tart cherry. The citrus and cherry bring a lively brightness, while the vanilla-cookie sweetness offers a lovely counterpoint. It’s a coffee that brings together vibrant fruit and familiar, comforting flavors. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Producer Information
Origin: Kenya
Region: Kirinyaga County
Community: Ngariama
Producer: Various smallholder producers
Washing Station: Kamwangi
Varieties: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian
Process: Washed
Fermentation: 24–36 hours in shaded tanks
Drying: 12–20 days on raised beds
Altitude: 1,100–1,800 meters above sea level
Tasting Notes: Orange, Vanilla Cookie, Tart Cherry
