GONDO AB

ORIGIN
Despite sharing a border with the ‘birthplace of coffee,’ Ethiopia, the varieties that were brought to Kenya had circumnavigated the globe before they found their way back to the African continent. These varieties had mutated in various climates to create a profile that, once adapted to the rich soil around Mt. Kenya, resulted in the exciting and internationally renowned cup profiles that this beautiful country has to offer.

The first coffee plants were brought to Kenya by Scottish and French missionaries, the latter contributing what would be known as French Mission Bourbon, transplanted from the island of Bourbon (now called Reunion). The Scottish, meanwhile, selected strains from Mocha, Yemen, in the 1930s, now famously known as SL28 and SL34 which now contribute to the dynamic quality of the coffees in the country even to this day, amongst other varieties.
 

PRODUCER
The Gondo washing facility is operated by the New Kiriti Farmers Cooperative Society which comprises of 560 smallholder grower members. Coffee is hand picked and brought to the processing facility that same day for selection, separation and de-pulping. The ripe coffee cherries are then washed and fermented using fresh water from the local Kananahu stream, and the parchment coffee is then dried under full sun on raised drying beds.
 

ROAST
Kenyan coffees are notoriously difficult to roast and this coffee is no exception. Partly due to the high altitude in which this coffee grows, a high bean density and moisture content mean that we have to apply a lot of conductive and convective energy to fully express its complex characteristics. We have taken a short, but highly energetic roast to reveal the bright and complex aromas that remind us of the malic acidity of a crisp green apple with lashings of lemon curd followed by a sweet, but juicy finish. Perfect for a variety of filter preparations.