Kamwangi AA

ORIGIN
The first coffee plants were brought to Kenya by Scottish and French missionaries during the 19th century, the latter contributing to the introduction of French Mission Bourbon, which was transplanted from the Island of Bourbon (now called Reunion). The Scottish, meanwhile, selected strains from Mocha, Yemen, to develop the famous SL28 and SL 34 cultivars that are characteristic of the exceptional coffees that this beautiful country has to offer.

Grown in the Kirinyaga region, in Central Kenya, the coffee trees enjoy ample rainfall throughout the year. Many rivers also run through the forested region which is home to exotic wildlife and exceptional biodiversity. This helps to support the nutrient-rich volcanic soils providing smallholder farmers with the natural resources to grow and process some of Kenya’s most fruit-forward coffees.

PRODUCER
The Kamwangi factory, which is in the northeast part of Kirinyaga, is owned and managed by the New Ngariama Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS). Nearly one thousand active smallholder members deliver red cherry to the processing facility during the harvest. After the coffee is sorted and de-pulped, it is fermented for 24–28 hours in tanks before being washed in grading channels.

The highest grades of coffee typically receive an additional soak of between 12–24 hours, before it is spread and rotated on drying beds for up to two weeks. Once the moisture content reaches an optimum 13%, the coffee is moved to conditioning bins, where it is stored and rotated every two days to help homogenize moisture content and stabilize the parchment coffee.

ROAST
Sourced through our friends at Café Imports, we love the vibrant tartaric acidity in this coffee that reminds us of fresh passion fruit. Roasted energetically for filter, you can find lots of syrupy brown sugar sweetness with a hint of fruity blackberry in the finish. Perfect for a variety of brew methods on a hot summers’ day!