Kenya | Kiambu Karatu AA Washed

Process | Washed

Variety | SL-28

MASL | 1850-1883 MASL

Marshmallow | Cocoa | Dried Apricot

Kenyan coffee boasts one of the most recognizable flavor profiles in the world. Bright, winey acidity; a luxuriant, syrupy mouthfeel; savory sweetness reminiscent of blackcurrant or molasses; there is no mistaking a Kenya on the cupping table.

This distinctiveness is owed in part to an extended fermentation or “double-washing” process unique to the region, originally developed to maximize efficiency but now regarded as a key element of the “classic” Kenya specialty flavor profile. 

And although climate change, political unrest, and corruption within Kenya’s barely-post-colonial auction system have all led to a decline in the number of exemplary Kenya lots leaving the country in the past decade, recently increased levels of transparency and ambitious technical innovations (such as the “solar drying” system) have brought cup scores roaring back, and fueled hopes that the best in Kenyan coffee is yet to come.