Kenya Ichuga

Origin

• 🇰🇪 Kenya· Nyeri

Tasting notes

Character

• Bright
  30
• Clean
  20
• Funky
  20

Blackcurrant. Kiwi. Canelé . Ships within 1 week after roast dateRoast date / restingSpecialty bags carry the roast date, not a best-before. Coffee needs days to degas CO₂ after roasting ('resting') and is typically best within weeks, not months. 100% specialty arabica coffee beans only Manhattan's coffee beans are at their peak 2 to 3 weeks after roasting Origin Kenya VarietyVariety (cultivar)The botanical subtype of the coffee plant — Gesha, Bourbon, SL28 — analogous to grape varieties in wine. A major driver of cup character alongside origin and process. Ruiru 11, SL28SL28A Kenyan variety selected in the 1930s by Scott Agricultural Laboratories, prized for intense blackcurrant acidity and deep sweetness., SL34SL34SL28's sibling selection, also from Kenya's Scott Labs. Slightly less celebrated but hardier, with a similar juicy, complex cup. Processing WashedWashed processThe fruit is removed from the seed before drying, usually with fermentation and a water rinse. Tends to give clean, transparent cups where origin character shows clearly. Altitude 1700 masl Farm Kiama Farmer Co-Op Producer Ichuga Station Roast Level Filter About this coffee: We love washed Kenyan’s at MCR and this one really got us excited on the cuppingCuppingThe standardized tasting ritual — coarse grounds steeped in hot water, crust broken, slurped from a spoon — used to score and compare coffees. table! Ichuga is one of five factories operated by Kiama Farmer Cooperative Society. Grown at a high altitude of 1700 masl, this blendBlendCoffees from multiple origins roasted or mixed together for a consistent, balanced profile year-round — the traditional backbone of espresso menus. of classic Kenyan varieties Ruiru 11, SL-28 and SL-34 stood out for its elegant profile of black currants, kiwi and high sweetness. The Story: Ichuga is one of 5 factories owned and operated by Kiama Farmer Cooperative Society (FCS). Located in Nyeri, near the town of Karatina, that station is located at 1,700 meters above sea level. Kiama FCS was founded in 1996 by the 5 member cooperatives, which had previously belonged to 2 separate cooperative societies. The name “Kiama” came from a portmanteau of the two cooperatives they currently belong to, Kiawirigi and Magutu. Farmers selectively handpick ripe cherry and deliver it to washing stations near them. Cherry is carefully sorted at intake where under- and over-ripes, along with any foreign matter, are removed. Once sorted, ripe, red cherry is added straight to the hopper and pulped. Coffee is fermented and then washed in clean water to remove any remaining mucilage. Wet parchment is sorted and any damaged beans that remain are removed. Then, parchment is moved to raised beds to finish drying. Here, it is turned regularly to ensure even drying and covered at the hottest part of the day and overnight to prevent cracking and/or condensation. Workers will also regularly inspect drying parchment and remove any damaged beans. Drying time is usually around two weeks, depending on the weather at the time. Once dry, parchment is delivered to Kahawa Bora Millers. The mill has