Kenya Kagere AA

A fresh coffee with flavors of peach iced tea, redcurrant & cane sugar.
Smooth and elegant mouthfeel, medium-light body, long and fresh, acidic finish of redcurrant and black tea.

Producer: Kagere Factory
District: Nyeri, Central Kenya
Variety: Batian, SL-34, SL-28, Ruiru 11
Process: Washed

Kagere Factory is a washing station located in Othaya, Nyeri County, one of Kenya's most renowned coffee districts. The washing station operates under the Othaya Farmers' Cooperative Society and receives fresh coffee cherries from over 755 smallholder farmers in the surrounding landscape.

The region is known for its nutrient-rich, red volcanic soil, which also gave the area its name – the word Nyeri originates from the Maasai word nyiro, meaning "red." Today, most farmers here cultivate both tea and coffee. The coffee plants in this area primarily consist of a classic blend of SL28 and SL34 varieties (around 80%), combined with the newer varieties Batian and Ruiru 11.

During harvest, smallholder farmers hand-pick only the perfectly ripe coffee cherries and deliver them to the washing station the same day. Upon receipt, the cherries undergo strict sorting under the supervision of the coffee station's sorting manager, ensuring that only flawless raw material is processed. The cherries are pulped using a disc pulper, sorted by density, and then fermented overnight. Experienced workers continuously monitor the process and stop fermentation at precisely the right time, before the coffee is washed clean with fresh water.

The wet coffee beans are then spread out on raised drying beds in their protective parchment where they are sun-dried for 8 to 14 days. The beans are turned regularly to ensure an even drying process, while any defective beans are hand-picked. This lot has an AA grading, meaning the coffee beans are sorted by a screen size of 17 to 18 (approximately 7.2 mm), a bean size that ensures a very even roast and enhances the coffee's complex flavor profile, representing the very best quality from Kenya.