Kenya - Kiyaka AA

Kiyaka Estate is a two-hectare ancestral land on a plateau in Kisii county, Nyanza region in Southwestern Kenya. The high elevation, mild climate, adequate and well-distributed rainfall, and fertile, volcanic soil make up the conditions conducive to the coffee varieties grown in the estate — SL 28, SL 34, Ruiru 11, Batian, and Blue Mountain.

After inheriting the property in 2014, Edwin Nyaega Kiyaka, who was then based in the capital Nairobi, decided that city life was no longer for him and went full-time into coffee farming. He has since been engaged in organic cultivation, natural processing, and invigorating the estate's polycultural environment following an agroforestry model.

Edwin has been building his reputation as one of the pioneers in a new era of Kenyan coffee production, characterized by a sharper focus on improving cup quality through eco-conscious farming practices and experimentation with natural processing.

The traditional varieties SL 28 and SL 34 have been cultivated in the country since the early 1900s. They are known for having the potential for high cup quality and high yields. Still, they are also highly vulnerable to adverse elements. The more resilient cultivars Ruiru 11 and Batian were bred and promoted to decrease the risk of another coffee disease epidemic (such as the 1968 coffee berry disease epidemic) and ultimately protect the farmers’ livelihood and the industry at large.

The AA grade indicates this coffee is of the highest quality, determined by the beans’ size and density and according to Kenyan coffee trade regulations.

Edwin decided to use the traditional natural process for this lot to encourage development of the coffee’s intrinsic berry and sweetish citrus character amid a darker sweetness. After the selectively handpicked ripe cherries were cleaned and further sorted, they were placed on mesh-topped wooden boxes to dry under the sun. Throughout this drying phase, which was not to exceed 30 days, meticulous care was taken to ensure off-flavors would not develop. Steps included shifting the cherries, monitoring their temperature and moisture levels, and picking out the non-uniform cherries.