syrupy and jammy with notes of blackberry jam, blackcurrant, baked peach sweetness, pomelo acidity and a cherry cola finish
Kenya does not always have to mean Kirinyaga or Nyeri. This lot comes from the lesser-known Embu region, located on the foothills of Mount Kenya, and offers everything we love about Kenyan coffees – high elevations, volcanic soils, abundant rainfall, and an incredibly vibrant cup profile. Gakundu is exactly the kind of washed Kenya that reminds us why Kenyan coffees have long been among the most distinctive in the specialty coffee world.
Gakundu Factory brings together hundreds of smallholder farmers from the Embu region who cultivate traditional Kenyan varieties such as SL28, SL34, Batian, and Ruiru 11 at elevations of around 1,650 meters above sea level. Farmers work on small plots of land and, besides coffee, also grow bananas, maize, macadamia, and grevillea trees that provide natural shade for the coffee plants. The cooperative supports its members through agronomic training, access to farm inputs, and programs focused on sustainable farming practices.
After harvest, only perfectly ripe cherries are carefully selected and processed on the same day. The coffee then undergoes a 24 to 48-hour fermentation, is thoroughly washed, and passes through the characteristic Kenyan soaking stage that helps enhance clarity and cup definition. Drying takes place on raised African beds until the ideal moisture content is reached. The result is an elegant, juicy, and exceptionally clean cup that showcases exactly why washed Kenyan coffees have become legends of specialty coffee.
| variety | batian, SL28, SL34 & ruiru 11 |
| process | washed |
| region | embu |
| altitude | 1650 masl. |
