Kenya Karinga AB Washed

Washed Kenyan coffees are some of the most distinctive in the world, with a juicy, acidic, floral quality that you can’t get anywhere else. This lot from Karinga estate in Kiambu perfectly captures that essence with sparkly notes of blackcurrant, medlar, and brown sugar. It's right up there with any of our tasty Kenyan coffees from last year, and we're excited to have one in the rotation once again.

With nearly 700,000 coffee producers, roughly 70% of whom are smallholders, Kenya shines as a unique coffee-producing country. In Kiambu County, the lands are rich with red volcanic soil and are considered prime for tea production. Here, near the town of Gatundu, the Karinga Coffee Factory (wet mill) is situated. The factory works with the Gitwe Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS), comprised of 500 active members, who actually grow more tea than coffee.

Initiated in 1983, the factory now works with producers from the Kimaruri, Kariungu, Gachuha, and Mugalwa villages. Producers benefit from high altitudes that provide ideal temperatures and rainfall for the slow maturation of coffee cherries. Smallholders in this region grow coffee on small plots of land and pick the cherries during harvest to deliver to the mill. There are two harvests in Kiambu county, May–June and again in November–December.

Once the cherries reach the mill, they are washed with water from the Rwabura River. After the cherries are pulped, the coffee is placed in large tanks to soak in water and ferment. This allows for the breakdown of the exterior mucilage, normally lasting overnight. The coffee is then rushed through channels and cleaned one final time before being spread evenly on raised beds to dry in covered greenhouses until a targeted moisture content is reached, requiring about 7-15 days.

Producers and the factory collectively value sustainability, and they have various projects to reduce environmental impact. Wastewater used for processing is carefully placed into soak pits to seep back into the soil without polluting the local drinking source. The factory itself is managed by Samwel Muteti, who works with six permanent employees to assist with the day-to-day tasks of processing coffee during the peak season. The Gitwe FCS also provides training to producers and financing to those who require assistance before the harvest is complete. There are many challenges, including a lack of loan facilities and the high cost of agricultural inputs. But the FCS is encouraging producers to shift to coffee rather than tea, since the value of coffee is higher, and yields have gradually been increasing since 2012. 

We sourced this coffee through our friends at Mercanta. 

Elevation: 1840 MASL

Varietal: SL28, Ruiru 11, SL34, Batian

Cup score: 87

Price paid per kg: £11.95

Process: Washed