Our 2nd year of Karimikui and it's always such an iconic Kenyan grown on volcanic soils. Another tasty Kenyan lot that has impressed us this year, sweet white currants, kiwi, grape, and a tart citrus of blood orange and hints of raspberry and rhubarb. A Bright, Silky and Juicy Kenyan.

This Kenyan reminds us of White Currants, Kiwi, Blood Orange, Raspberry, Rhubarb, Brown Sugar and Vanilla.

Perched at high altitude in a region better known for tea than coffee, the Karimikui Factory stands out as a beacon of excellence within the greater Rungeto Farmers Cooperative Society, also home to renowned
stations like Kiangoi and Kii.

Each lot at Karimikui is made up of cherries delivered by hundreds of smallholder farmers from the surrounding hills. Upon arrival, the cherries are meticulously sorted by the factory team to ensure only the ripest make it into production. The coffee is traditionally processed using dry fermentation, then washed and graded in channels before being carefully dried on raised beds to enhance clarity and complexity.
While the main varieties grown are SL28 and SL34, cultivars known for their bright acidity and depth, other Kenyan staples like K7, Ruiru 11, and the newer Batian can also be part of the mix, adding further nuance to these dynamic coffees.

PROCESSING

At the factory, processing begins with a disc pulping machine that carefully removes the skin and pulp from freshly harvested cherries. The coffee is then separated by density into three distinct grades. Only the highest qualities (Grades 1 and 2) continue on to fermentation, while Grade 3 is set aside as a lower grade.

The selected coffees undergo a traditional fermentation process lasting 16 to 24 hours under cover, a crucial stage that helps develop their bright acidity and refined sweetness. Once fermentation is complete, the parchment coffee is thoroughly washed and passed through grading channels, where it is once again sorted by density to ensure precision in quality.

Finally, the beans are soaked for an additional 16 to 18 hours in fresh, clean water sourced from nearby
streams.

The parchment is then sun dried for up to 21 days on raised drying beds. To protect the quality during drying, the coffees are carefully covered with plastic sheets during the heat of midday and throughout the night, shielding them from harsh sun and moisture.

We suggest letting the coffee rest for 2-3 wks.

Transparency:

We paid Apex : $30.60/kg cad

Roasted Cost: $36/kg cad