Kenyan Coffee Gotamboya
$27.00 – $154.00
This coffee is juicy and sweet. A wonderful example of Kenyan Coffee. We taste Plum, Vanilla, and Dried Cranberries.
Kenyan coffee. Kenya coffee. Kenya AA coffee. Coffee from Kenya.
Kenyan Coffee
Kenyan coffee production is known for some of the most meticulous at-scale processing that can be found anywhere. Firstly, bright white parchment, nearly perfectly sorted by density and bulk conditioned at high elevations is commonplace. Secondly, Kenyan processing is a matter of pride even for managers who prefer drinking Kenya’s tea to its coffee. Thirdly, ample water supply is available in the central growing regions. This has historically allowed factories to wash, and soak, and wash their coffees again entirely with fresh, cold river water.
However, conservation is becoming key in certain places. Above all, this is happening in the drier areas where water, due to climate change, cannot be as taken for granted (but elsewhere too). For the most part Kenya continues to thoroughly wash and soak its coffees according to tradition. Subsequently, the established milling and sorting by grade, or bean size, is a longstanding tradition and positions them well for roasters, by tightly controlling the physical preparation and creating a diversity of profiles from a single processing batch
To sum up, this Kenya coffee has a flavor profile that is mildly tart and citric, with strong notes of lemongrass, lime, and raspberry and cola-like sweetness. On pour-over this Kenya AA coffee presents vanilla, honey and maple syrup along side plenty of round malic and fruit acids in the form of grapes and delicate berries, all brightened by the presence of lemon and stone fruit in the finish.
Barichu Farmers Cooperative Society
Gatomboya is a washing station in Nyeri County, Central Province, where traditionally some of the best Kenya coffee lots come from; in Kenya these stations are referred to as factories. Nyeri District is known for complex, flavorful coffees with intensity. Gatomboya is owned by members of the Barichu Farmers Co-operative Society which has about 700 members who grow coffee and bring it to the factory for processing. At the factory, the coffee is mainly washed processed and then separated in qualities. These member farmers are typically smallholders who may grow other crops for income or subsistence such as macadamia, bananas, corn and beans.
Kenya has a unique double soak washing process. Washed coffee is distinguished by the clarity of the flavors and attributes that it can achieve. During this process, the sugars present in the mucilage are removed through natural fermentation or mechanical scrubbing. Fermentation can be done by stacking the coffee outside or placing them under water and allowing nature to take its course. After the sugars are removed, the beans then can be taken through a secondary washing to remove any additional debris, or taken immediately to the patios or beds for drying. During wet processing, the pulp is removed mechanically. The remaining mesocarp, called mucilage, sticks to the parchment and is also removed before drying. Mucilage is insoluble in water and clings to parchment too strongly to be removed by simple washing. Mucilage can be removed following fermentation by washing. The method and supervision of fermentation can make or break a coffee’s final outcome. These coffee cherries were hand sorted by the farmers before they went into production. After their skins were removed the coffee was put into fermentation tanks where it was stored at least overnight, then washed, soaked and spread on drying tables. Once on the tables frequent turning is required until the coffee reaches the desired moisture level of 11-12%. Lastly the coffee, in its parchment parchment gets stored to rest until delivery to the dry mill.
