June Box
Washed and Anaerobic Natural Kenya
It's that time of year when we look forward to the arrival and release of a favourite origin for many coffee enthusiasts!
This month we have two Kenyan coffees to showcase the progression of coffee processing in Kenya. The first coffee is one that was released earlier this month; a classic washed coffee from the
Karatina washing station sourced by Red Fox Coffee Merchants. The second is an anaerobic lot of SL28 and SL34 sourced by Jamii Coffee from Rui Ruiru washing station. An exciting
example of the potential of what can come with varied processing techniques for coffees from Kenya. We hope you enjoy the opportunity to compare
a classic washed Kenyan coffee with a more contemporary processing style!
Karatina AB
Washed SL28, SL34, Batian, Ruiru
From Red Fox Coffee Merchants:
"Karatina Factory is located in Barichu locale, Mathira division near Karatina town in the Nyeri County,
the southern part of the famous Mt. Kenya and part of the Barichu Cooperative Society with about 1,450 smallholder farmers.
In addition to coffee, common crops grown are bananas and maize. Grevillea or macadamia trees are also planted to provide shade to the growing coffee trees."
This coffee has a lovely sweetness that inspired us to start exploring an espresso profile
that may be coming at a later date.
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Sourced by Red Fox Coffee Merchants
Origin:
Nyeri, Kenya
Roast Profile:
Light Roast
Tasting Notes:
Plum, Blackberry, Black Tea
Brew:
Filter We recommend Recipe A in our brew guide
Rui Ruiru Wet Mill
Anaerobic Natural SL28, SL34
Not to be confused with the variety (Ruiru 11), Rui Ruiru is a washing station that was revived in 2020.
The name in the local language means "black river".
Rui Ruiru washing station was in operation from 1963 to 2014 but had to stop its operations as farmers had stopped bringing in cherries
due to non-payment. Over the years, the mill was left unattended with machinery rusting and vegetation taking over. In late 2020 Jamii Coffee
undertook the project to revive the mill. They have worked hard to rebuild trust with local farmers to have preharvest contracts and offer direct price negotiation.
After doing cost of production analysis with farmers they multiply the cost by 150% to determine the base price starting point.
This ensures that the farmer is profitable at the farm level.
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Sourced by Jamii Coffee
Origin:
Mathira, Kenya
Roast Profile:
Light Roast
Tasting Notes:
Violet, Grapefruit, Mango, Dried Raspberry
Brew:
Filter We recommend Recipe B in our brew guide