Wash Station: Karindundu

Origin: Nyeri, Kenya

Process-type: Washed

Varietal: SL-28 & SL-34

Cup: Tang Orange Drink, Lemongrass, Lime, Brûléed Sugar

This coffee is from Karindundu wash station. This lot is a peaberry separation. The station is just outside the town of Karatina in the Nyeri district. The area is not far from Mount Kenya in Kenya's Central Highlands. Red volcanic soils and high elevations make for great growing conditions.

Several hundred farmers in the area surrounding Karindundu are members of the coffee cooperative society of which Karindundu is a part. Processing standards at Karindundu are second to none. Lots of sorting happens at every step and carefulness is applied to everything they do. Their washing method, which is the standard found throughout Kenya, consists of longer fermentations times (as long as 36 hrs) but with water being replaced with clean water every 12 hours. This creates an environment where very little fermentation is actually occurring as fruit and mucilage are effectively removed from the coffee and the environment. Following this, the coffee is sent through washing channels where it is easily scrubbed off due to the thorough fermentation process. Once through the wash channels, coffee heads to soaking tanks where is soaks in clean water for 12+ hours. By the time coffee hits the drying tables there is not a spec of mucilage left on the parchment. It is due to these practices that Kenya coffee is considered the cleanest coffee in the world. In this cup I think we find a great exemplar of what those extra efforts can produce, i.e., super clean, bright cup with mouth-watering type acidity.

Check out brew guides.