Kenya - Kiawamururu AA

Coffee farming is a family enterprise for the 900 smallholders that bring their harvest to the Kiawamururu wet mill for processing. The lands they cultivate are inherited across generations, just as their coffee know-how. Familiarity with the parameters and skills critical for growing and harvesting high-quality cherries starts when the family members are very young. As children, most of them accompanied and observed their parents at work. As they grew up, more technical and practical knowledge was shared with them. They were able to actively participate when they came of age. An example is the chairman of the Kiawamururu wet mill, a third-generation coffee farmer.

Farmers rely on the mill's processing facilities and expertise to maximize their cherries' sensory and, thus, commercial potential. In addition, the mill's direct relationship with buyers enables them to match the coffees with the markets that will bring the most value back to their members.

There are also ongoing initiatives by the mill's management to update the farmers' knowledge of best practices in coffee planting, pruning, feeding, and controlling pests and diseases. These improve quality and sustainability in the long run.

Nyeri County belongs to Kenya’s traditional coffee-growing zone in the country’s Central Region. It is situated between the Aberdare mountain range and Mount Kenya, the country's highest point. Nutrient-rich volcanic soil comprises most of the land, which along with the moderate climate, allows coffee trees to grow healthy and yield dense cherries that are packed with potential for an array of flavors.

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 cultivar Ruiru 11 was bred and promoted to protect the farmers’ livelihood and the industry at large from an event such as the 1968 coffee berry disease epidemic from recurring.

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

It is a long held belief that the washed process fully unmasks a coffee’s authentic character allowing the consumer to taste variety and terroir. It is still the norm for post-harvest processing at cooperative-run coffee factories in Kenya. Selectively handpicked ripe cherries are further sorted for defects before being sent into pulping, which removes the skin and pulp from the seed.
Residual mucilage is removed through fermentation in tanks, followed by washing to scrub off any remaining traces of mucilage, and a soak. By this step, the coffee seeds in parchment would have a moisture level of around 55%. This will be reduced to 10-12% by laying them out to dry on raised beds under the sun for approximately 14 days.

Kenyan coffee is memorable for many specialty coffee lovers because it is generally fragrant, clean, juicy, complex, and also fuller-bodied, which is uncommon in most other fully washed coffees.