Kenya Gichathaini

Origin

• 🇰🇪 Kenya· Nyeri

Tasting notes

Character

• Bright
  30
• Clean
  20
• Funky
  20

Producer: Hill Farm Origin: Karatina Town, Nyeri County Varietal: 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. Altitude: 1600-1900 metres above sea level Process: 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. Flavours: Blackberry, Lemon, Raspberry, Caramel About This Coffee Nyeri County is renowned for its significant contribution to Kenya's coffee production, standing out among other coffee-producing regions. This picturesque area lies nestled between the majestic Mt Kenya and the Aberdare ranges, located just to the east of the Great Rift Valley. The climatic conditions and naturalNatural processThe whole cherry is dried with the fruit still on the seed. Gives heavier body and big fruit flavors — think berries and wine — sometimes with a fermenty edge. features of Nyeri create an ideal environment for coffee cultivation. The region boasts rich, red volcanic soils, a bountiful supply of rainfall, and gentle yet warm temperatures, all of which are essential elements for producing high-quality coffee. When harvest time approaches, the coffee producers in Nyeri County embrace an organic approach, handpicking only the ripe cherries. Kenya experiences two distinct coffee crops each year. The early, or fly crop, is harvested between June and August, while the main or late crop is collected from October to March, predominantly from farms situated at higher altitudes. Once the cherry-picking process is complete, they bag the freshly harvested cherries and transport them to the Gichathaini Factory's wet millWashing stationA central mill where many smallholder farmers deliver cherry for processing. In Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda the station name (e.g. Idido) often identifies the coffee.. Here the cherries undergo de-pulping to remove their outer fruit layer. The remaining parchment is then transferred to tanks filled with water sourced from the nearby Ragati River. This river water, vital for the fermentation process, aids in breaking down the exterior mucilage of the cherries. At the mill, a strong commitment to conservation is evident, particularly concerning water usage. The mill collaborates with smallholderSmallholderA farmer growing coffee on a small family plot — often under two hectares. Most of the world's coffee is grown this way, typically pooled at cooperatives or washing stations. coffee producers who contribute their yield from small plots of 1ha or less. Following the fermentation process, the coffee is spread out on raised beds to dry under the sun. Once the drying phase is complete, the coffee is hulled by the environmentally conscious Highlands Coffee Compan