Three Marks - Kenya - Thunguri Nyeri AB
Kenya Thunguri Nyeri AB: Fully washed coffee with notes of honey, grapefruit and blueberry. Perfect for filter and espresso.
Taste
Flavours of honey, grapefruit and blueberry
Setting advice
These beans are suitable for both filter and espresso.
Origin
The coffee comes from Nyeri in Central Kenya.
Height
1600 m above sea level
Bean type
K7, Ruiru 11, SL28 and SL34
Processing
Fully Washed processing method
Product information
The project
The Thunguri Wash Mill, located in Karatina, Kirinyaga County, serves over 1,095 smallholder producers working on the surrounding lands. The mill is managed by the Kibirigwi Farmers' Cooperative Society and is part of a larger network of wet mills that support Kenya's coffee industry.
In Kenya, there are more than 600,000 smallholder farmers, each cultivating less than 2 hectares of land. They account for 99% of the country’s coffee production. These farmers, organised into numerous cooperatives (Farmer Cooperative Societies, FCS), account for 75% of the coffee land and produce almost 70% of the annual coffee production.
Kenyan coffee is known for varieties such as SL-28 and SL-34, developed by Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the early 20th century. These varieties are prized for their drought resistance and high yields. In later years, these varieties have been supplemented with Ruiru-11 and Batian, which are more disease resistant and better adapted to modern farming methods. Today, most Kenyan farmers grow a mix of SL, Ruiru-11 and Batian varieties for optimal yield and resilience.
The Coffee
The process begins with small farmers handpicking ripe coffee cherries and bringing them to the mill the same day. Upon arrival, the cherries are carefully sorted under the supervision of a specially appointed employee, who ensures that only the best and undamaged cherries are accepted.
After sorting, the berries are pulped with a disk pulper, followed by density sorting. The pulp is then fermented for 16 to 24 hours, with experienced workers closely monitoring the process to stop the fermentation at the right time. After fermentation, the berries are soaked in clean water for another 24 hours.
The wet parchment coffee is then moved to raised drying beds, where it is dried in the sun for 7 to 15 days. During this period, the beans are continually sorted and turned to ensure even drying, and any defective beans are removed. The final product is classified as AB Grade, with beans between 6 and 7 millimeters in size.
