Kenya Ndiara Kiru AA

Kenya shines as a unique coffee-producing country in East Africa. Producers benefit from high altitudes here, allowing for ideal temperatures and rainfall for the slow 
maturation of coffee cherries. Once the cherries reach the mill, the coffee is washed with water from the Diara River via a diesel pump. Next, the cherries are pulped to remove the external fruit and placed in large fermentation tanks to soak in water and ferment. This allows for the breakdown of the exterior mucilage, normally lasting overnight. The 
coffee is then rushed through channels and cleaned one final time before being spread evenly on raised beds to dry in the open sun until a targeted moisture content is reached. This can take around 7-15 days. 

Varietal Information 

Ruiru 11 – Developed by the Coffee Research Institute in the 1960s after the outbreak of Coffee Leaf Rust  and Coffee Berry Disease. These trees were not only disease-tolerant, but also high-yielding, producing  cherries after just 1.5 years.  

SL 28 – Scott Agricultural Laboratories created this varietal in 1931 to combat the stresses caused by drought in Kenya incurred by coffee producers. With deep roots, this varietal was better able to locate moisture in the water table and more resistant to periods of low precipitation.   

SL 34 – Scott Agricultural Laboratories developed this varietal from the French Bourbon in the late 1930s in Kenya. Also, a drought tolerant varietal, the SL 34 additionally produced larger cherries with a shorter growing period. 

Batian – Developed by the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya, this varietal was named after one of the highest peaks on Mt. Kenya. This is a newer varietal, only created in 2010, and exhibits resistance to Coffee Berry Disease and Leaf Rust whilst maintaining exceptional quality and yield.  

In Brief

Region: Mathioya, Muranga, Kiru
Altitude: 1,700 masl
Varietal: SL 28, SL 34, Ruiru 11& Batian
Process: Washed
Flavour: Blackberry, Cinnamon Syrup, Canned Mandarin Peel