Dear coffee subscriber,
The fresh harvest from Kenya finally arrived and we are very happy to say that the quality of these coffees are really good this year. In fact I think it has been several years since we had matching quality coming from Kenya. We wanted to give you an insight to how different Kenyan coffees can be, even when they come from the same wet mill. Ranging from blackberry, winey blackcurrant notes to more tart red berries, rhubarb and rose hips, I am sure you will enjoy these coffees during the how summer. Make sure to try them as iced coffees too. You can find our recipe on Youtube.
Happy summer and enjoy the coffees.
Karogoto - lot 16IM0038 (1st & 4th bag)
Flavour notes
Blackberry, hibiscus & blackcurrants
Producer
Several smallholder farmers
Harvest
December 2024
Origin
Nyeri, Kenya
Process
Washed
Cultivar
SL28, SL34, Batian & Ruiru 11
The coffees from Karogoto are always super clean and have an intense fruity and floral flavour. This is most likely because many of the members/farmers are still growing the SL28 cultivar and have received a lot of agricultural training over the years. The climatic conditions also contribute to the coffees intensity. The cool nights and moderately hot days slow down the ripening process and give a very sweet, intense and unique coffee.
This year we bought two different lots from Karogoto with slightly different flavour profiles. Lot 16IM0038 which will be sent as the 1st and 4th bag, tastes really ripe and fruity like blackberry and blackcurrants probably due to a slightly prolonged fermentation. The other lot, 16IM0024 which will be sent as the 3rd and 6th bag, is more like the classic coffees from Karogoto which tend to have a lighter body and high acidity with tart rose hip flavours. This demonstrates that even though the coffees from Karogoto tend to be quite consistent in quality there are always small variations in flavour profiles depending on the quality of the coffee cherries they receive from the farmers. Also the differences in lot size will affect the processing protocols and especially the fermentation time.
Kapsokisio (2nd & 5th bag)
Flavour notes
Rose hips, hibiscus & red berries
Producer
Several smallholder farmers
Harvest
December 2024
Origin
Mt. Elgon, Kenya
Process
Washed
Cultivar
K7, SL28 & SL34
About 90% of the farmers who deliver cherries to the Kapsokisio wet mill grow the K7 cultivar, which means only about 10% of the coffee is SL28 and SL34 cultivars . This is probably one of the main reasons why the Kapsokisio coffees taste so different from the coffees from central-Kenya.
When we started buying coffee from Kapsokisio in 2012, the cooperative was struggling with drying capacity during the peak of the harvest, which is when the best coffees are processed. Therefore in 2013 we decided to invest in building new drying tables at the wet mill in order to increase the drying capacity at the factory. We managed to raise about $10 000 USD from our customers during our 6th and 7th anniversary that was donated to Kapsokisio in order to have new drying beds built.
Ever since we have always been trying to get our hands on some coffee from this wet mill as it is such a unique coffee with crisp fruity flavours.
Karogoto - lot 16IM0024 (3rd & 6th bag)
Flavour notes
Rose hips, hibiscus & blackcurrants
Producer
Several smallholder farmers
Harvest
December 2024
Origin
Nyeri, Kenya
Process
Washed
Cultivar
SL28, SL34, Batian & Ruiru 11