Kenya AB - Kayu

guava, angel food cake, honey'd banana, 

PROCESS: washed REGION: muranga VARIETAL:  Ruiru 11, SL28, SL34 ELEVATION: 1650m

Introducing Gitura, our first AB of the season! Juicy, clean, and refreshing, this coffee is perfect for the transitioning late fall days.

Kayu Coffee Factory is located in Muranga County, near the town of Kangema. It was established in 1964, making it one of the oldest washing stations in the area, and is now part of the New Kiriti Farmers Cooperative Society. Currently there are just under 1200 active farmers. During harvest times, coffee undergoes a traditional washed process method. Water is pumped from the nearby Kagondo river into reservoir tanks for de-pulping (the factory has a recirculation system to reduce water waste). After pulping the coffee is fermented overnight, washed to remove the mucilage, and spread on drying tables. The parchment is then frequently turned, hand-sorted, and then stored once the desired humidity has been reached.

This washed Kenya from Gracenote Coffee showcases a blend of three distinct varietal expressions—Ruiru 11, SL28, and SL34—grown in Muranga at 1650 masl. The combination of these cultivars contributes to the coffee's layered character, with each bringing its own genetic signature to the cup. Produced by Kayu Coffee Factory and processed via washing, this lot expresses itself through guava and honeyed banana notes anchored by a delicate angel food cake sweetness—a profile that suggests the interplay between the terroir and varietal complexity typical of well-farmed Kenyan microlots.