Kenya | Kii AA

This lot from the Kii washing station has been frozen for the last 3 years to be presented as an archival release. Harvested in December 2022 and frozen at peak freshness, this provides the chance to taste the past. The cup is lively and ripe with high acidity and jammy sweetness. We are tasting hibiscus and tart red fruits like cranberry and lingonberry as well as grapefruit and red currant.

Freezer preservation is an excellent way to prolong the shelf life of green coffee. This was our first test of long term preservation and it certainly will not be our last. Kii is one of the three wet mills owned and operated by the Rung’eto Farmers Cooperative Society, established in 1995 nestled at the foot of Mt. Kenya. We will be releasing another lot from Kii later this year from the current harvest.

Cherries are picked at peak ripeness and then delivered to the factory where they are hand-sorted--and the underripe, insect-damaged, and defective cherries are removed. The cherries are then pulped, and then fermented for 24 hours. Once the fermentation is complete, the parchment is washed with clean water from the Kii river and soaked for 12 hours. After washing and grading, the parchment is laid to dry on raised beds for 14 days.