Kenya | Kathakwa AA

Our first Kenyan of the season comes from the Kathakwa station, located in Kibugu within Embu County. Here at 1600 MASL local small holders deliver their cherries to be processed at this community station. Producers here are primarily growing SL-28 & Sl-34. This is an AA separation of primarily SL-28 and SL-34. This coffee is explosive, with tons of acidity and juicy flavors. We are finding black and red currant, passionfruit, hibiscus and orange.

The Kathakwa factory is part of the Kibugu Farmer’s Cooperative Society. It started in 1964 and has a current membership of 1,100 producers. Kathakwa has long-term goals of increasing coffee production and improving quality. They provide training seminars and education for the farmers they work with. They also maintain a demonstration plot that farmers can visit and reference in relation to their own plots.

Cherries are picked at peak ripeness and floated to remove defects. The ripe cherries are then depulped, density sorted, and left to ferment underwater for 16-18. Following fermentation the seeds are thoroughly rinsed, soaked and rinsed again to remove all mucilage and are moved to the drying beds where they dry on raised beds for 13-15 days.