Process: Washing (wet processing with recirculation of water from the Kii River)
Washing station: Rungeto FCS – Kii Factory
Harvest: 2024/2025
Varietals: SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11
TASTING NOTES
Rhubarb, grapefruit, honeydew melon
WHY WE LIKE IT
We love this coffee because it perfectly embodies the classic Kenyan profile but with a plus of liveliness. It has a juicy and refreshing character. It reminds us of grapefruit, with a light-medium body and high acidity. We find notes of rhubarb, which provides a vibrant and unexpected character. A very expressive sweetness of yellow melon also emerges, with a clean and long aftertaste, but not cloying.
It is an energetic coffee and has an aromatic complexity that evolves in the cup.
HISTORY
The Kii coffee factory was established in 1968 and is part of the cooperative Rungeto FCS, located near the town of Embu. It operates on an 8-acre plot of land and serves farmers in Gathanjuri, Kibae, Kianduma, and Kiandumbe. It currently has 1,000 active farmers, in addition to a team of 6 permanent employees and temporary staff during the high harvest.
The factory is equipped with a pulper, a recirculation system and 20 conditioning hoppers, which guarantees careful and efficient processing. Its location, altitude, and volcanic red soils, along with a bimodal rainfall pattern and temperatures between 13 and 24°C, favor the production of coffees with vibrant and complex profiles.
VARIETY AND PROCESS
The traditional Kenyan washing process includes pulping with water from the Kii River, overnight fermentation, double washing, soaking, and drying on African beds with frequent turning. This methodology preserves the bright acidity and crystalline sweetness characteristic of the origin.
The cherries are hand-selected, pulped and subjected to a fermentation under water for between 15 and 24 hours, followed by a triple wash with fresh water, recycled from local sources. It is then dried on African beds for 6–7 dayswith frequent turning.
SL28 and SL34 are two of Kenya's most iconic varietals, developed in the 1930s by Scott Agricultural Laboratories. Both are noted for their extraordinary cup quality, with complex profiles, high acidity, and a deep sweetness. SL28, with Ethiopian genetic roots, is especially valued for its drought resistance and lively fruit profile, while the SL34 adapted to more humid areas, it provides body and structure to the cup. Although susceptible to diseases such as rust, they remain the basis for some of the world's most prized coffees for their sensorial expressiveness.
Ruiru 11, although a minority, provides resistance and agronomic stability without compromising quality.
RECIPE
For filter:
We use 18 grams of ground coffee and 306 grams of water at 93°C. We make three pours. We wait 45 seconds for the first 54 grams, then make two 126-gram pours in a total time of 2'35".
