🫐 KENYA 🫐

A syrupy and bright coffee with notes of berries and stonefruit.

We absolutly love Kenyan coffee here at Radical Roasters. This washed processed coffee has a syrupy body, bright acidity with a sweet aftertaste.

Grown by: 800 smallholder Farmers working with the Kabingara washing station
Process: Washed
Location; Kamwana. Kirinyaga, Kenya
Varietal: Batian, Ruiru, SL28 & SL34
Sourced through; Sucafina

More about this coffee:

Farmers cultivate small coffee farms of approximately
250 to 350 trees at altitudes of 1,600 to 1,800+ meters
above sea level and deliver their cherry to Kabingara
factory. The high altitudes provide the warm days and
cool nights that help nurture sweet, dense cherry. The
washing station is owned and operated by Karithathi
Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS).
Farmers delivering to Karithathi washing station cultivate
primarily SL28, SL34, Batian and Ruiru 11 in small coffee
gardens that are, on average, smaller than 1 hectare. ‘SL’
varieties are cultivars originally released by Scott
Agricultural Laboratories (SAL) in the 1930s and 1940s.
They soon became the go-to trees for many growers in
Kenya due to their deep root structure, which allows
them to maximize scarce water resources and flourish
even without irrigation. They are cultivated with a
serious eye towards sustainability and Good Agricultural
Practices, with minimal environmental impact where
possible.
Batian is a relatively new variety introduced by the Kenya
Coffee Research Institute (CRI) in 2010. Batian is named
after the highest peak on Mt. Kenya and is resistant to
both CBD and CLR. The variety has the added benefit of
early maturity – cropping after only two years. Similar to
Batian, Ruiru 11 is a new variety known for its disease
resistance and high yields. It also starts yielding fruit
after just 2 years.
Farmers receive technical agronomic support from
Sucafina Kenya. They also receive soil sampling from
Kahawa Bora. The soil sampling program addresses a key
step in farmer profitability. Lower input costs mean
lower overall production costs and higher profits. More
targeted input application also translates into healthier
trees and higher quality cherry.
Prior to Kahawa Bora’s soil sampling program, farmers
had little access to soil analysis methods. Fertilizer, when
applied, would be formulated according to a generalized
recipe rather than one uniquely suited to the farm’s
exact needs. Now, with better access to information
through technology and agronomical assistance, farmers
can apply the right fertilizer recipe at the right time,
improving yields and cherry quality.

Smallholders selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and
deliver it to Kabingara Factory. At intake, the Cherry
Clerk oversees meticulous visual sorting and floating and
accepts only dense, ripe cherry.
After intake, cherry is pulped and fermented. Following
fermentation, coffee is washed in clean water and laid to
dry on raised beds. Workers rake parchment frequently
to ensure even drying. They cover drying parchment
during the hottest time of day, to maintain slow, even
drying and at night, to shelter parchment from moisture.
It takes an average of 7 to 14 days for parchment to dry.