RUBY PUNCH

Ruby Punch is a bright, juicy Kenyan coffee with vibrant blackcurrant, pomegranate, and hibiscus notes, layered sweetness, and a clean, structured profile. Produced by around 1,500 smallholder farmers working with the Gaturiri wet mill in Nyeri County, this lot is a beautiful expression of the region's distinctive growing conditions and meticulous approach to washed processing.

Built around the classic Kenyan varieties SL28 and SL34, this coffee delivers an intensely fruit-driven cup, with ripe blackcurrant sweetness and the tart, juicy character of pomegranate balanced by delicate hibiscus florals. Its acidity is bright and energetic, while a clean structure and lingering sweetness keep the cup composed and incredibly drinkable.

This coffee shines as a filter, where its vibrant fruit character, florals, and crisp acidity have space to fully open up. As an espresso, it produces a concentrated, juicy shot with plenty of sweetness, lively acidity, and a clean, refreshing finish.

Following harvest, ripe red cherries are selectively handpicked before being carefully sorted at the wet mill. The cherries are then pulped and fermented overnight before being thoroughly washed using fresh water drawn from the nearby River Kirigu. During washing, the parchment is repeatedly hand-shunted through gently sloping tiled channels, helping separate the denser, higher-quality coffee. Finally, the coffee is slowly sun-dried on raised tables until it reaches its ideal moisture content.

We chose this coffee because it captures so much of what we love about exceptional Kenyan coffees: intense fruit, floral complexity, vibrant acidity, and remarkable clarity. It's bold and expressive without losing balance — juicy, refreshing, and full of character.

Producer

Ruby Punch is produced by approximately 1,500 smallholder farmers who deliver their coffee to the Gaturiri wet mill in the Mathira Division of Nyeri County, Kenya. The mill is managed by the Barichu Farmers Cooperative Society and serves as a central processing point for its community of coffee-growing members.

Gaturiri sits between 1,700 and 1,800 metres above sea level in an area characterised by deep red volcanic soils rich in organic matter. These fertile soils, combined with the region's elevation and climate, create excellent conditions for cultivating the SL28 and SL34 varieties for which Kenya has become so well known.

The cooperative's farmers tend their coffee trees throughout the year, with an early harvest taking place between April and July followed by the main crop from October through December. Once cherries arrive at Gaturiri, an experienced factory manager oversees the wet mill and its careful processing, helping maintain quality and consistency across coffee contributed by the cooperative's many individual producers.

The name Gaturiri translates to "the shrubs", referencing a traditional local gathering place where medicinal herbs were collected. The wider region also carries deep cultural significance, with the name Nyeri originating from a hill historically known to the indigenous Kikuyu people as "Kia-Nyiri".

The result is a coffee shaped not by a single farm, but by an entire community: carefully grown, meticulously processed, and bursting with the vibrant fruit and floral character that makes coffees from Nyeri so distinctive.