Kenya Gathiruini

Tasting Notes: Nectarine, lime zest, caramel

In The Cup

This is a a lively and sweet coffee from Kenya's Kiambu region. Juicy nectarine and bright lime zest bring a refreshing fruit character, balanced by the rich sweetness of caramel. It's a lovely combination of vibrant citrus, stone fruit, and sweetness that makes this coffee particularly fun to drink.

In spite of their high acidity, we've found that most Kenyas shine on espresso.  If you like a big, bright, juicy espresso profile, this one's for you.  In test shots on our lab setup (La Marzocco Linea Mini + Mahlkonig X54 grinder) the ristretto profile won out by a wide margin.  It displayed the perfect balance of milk chocolate sweetness and punchy stone fruit acidity.  In a cappuccino, it tasted like peaches and cream.  The winning recipe was 17g dry coffee : 30g espresso : 28 seconds.

Origin & Producer

This coffee comes from hundreds of smallholders farmers in Kenya's Kiambu County. They deliver their coffee cherries to the Gathiruini washing station, part of the Komothai Farmers Cooperative Society. Located along the slopes of the Aberdare Mountains, the region's rich soils and moderate temperatures create excellent conditions for coffee cultivation.

Under the management of Lucy Mbare, the station uses the traditional Kenyan washed process. Coffee cherries are sorted, pulped, fermented overnight, and washed and graded before drying on raised beds for 8–14 days. It's a carefully managed process that highlights the work of the farmers and the washing station behind each harvest.