Kenyan Embu Single Origin Coffee

Roast: Medium \\\ |\\\  Region: Embu County, Kenya \\\ |\\\  Altitude: 1,600\\\–1,800 MASL
Cup: Cherry, grapefruit, kiwi, caramel, bright acidity, smooth finish

If you've ever wondered what people mean when they call a coffee "fruity" and you weren't convinced \\\— try this one. Kenya at altitude in volcanic loam produces an acidity that reads as actual fruit: cherry and grapefruit up front, kiwi underneath, caramel holding it together.

This lot comes from about 300 smallholder farmers organised around the Ena Coffee Factory, one of three wet mills under the New Runyenjes Farmers Cooperative Society. Kenyan coffee runs on a cooperative system where members vote on representation, milling contracts and how profits are allocated. New Runyenjes also pre-finances its members \\\— for pre-harvest inputs, for harvest labour, and for school fees. Its farmers grow corn, beans and tea alongside the coffee.

Cherry is collected daily through harvest and sorted on arrival for ripeness. It's depulped on multi-channel disc pulpers, fermented overnight, washed in fresh water, then moved to raised screen tables where drying takes two to three weeks depending on the weather. After that it's conditioned in perforated bins on site so moisture can stabilise before transit.

SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11. Two harvests a year \\\— April to July, and October to December.

Brew it: pour-over, hands down. Standard grind, water just off the boil.

Pairs with: a morning where you want to be awake for it.