Kenya Kaguyu AA
COUNTRY: Kenya
REGION: Kirinyaga
Farm: About 850 smallholder farmer members of Inoi Farmers Cooperative Society
VARIETY: Batian, SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11
ALTITUDE: 1750 masl
PROCESS: Washed
TASTING NOTES: Sweet with a syrupy mouthfeel and bright fruit acidity. Passionfruit, toffee, black tea, rich vanilla, caramel and ripe cherries.
Kirinyaga
Kirinyaga, in Central Kenya, is home to Mt. Kenya. It is forested with a wealth of exotic wildlife receiving 50 inches of rain per year. Many rivers run through the region and the soil is rich and volcanic, providing smallholders and cooperatives with the resources to grow and process some of Kenya's most fruit-forward coffees.
About 850 smallholder farmer members of Inoi Farmers Cooperative Society
Kaguyu Factory is located near Kerugoya town in the Ndia division of Kirinyaga county and services 850 members, who grow an average of 200 trees per farm. The most common varieties are typical to Kenya: SL-28, SL-34, and Ruiru 11. The farms in this area have red volcanic soil, and the producers also grow tea, bananas, and corn on their plots, under shade provided by macadamia, eucalyptus, and gravellea trees.
Coffee is here picked ripe and brought to the factory for depulping, washing, and soaking; farmers receive training every year from the factory manager, and "field days" hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and agrochemical companies. The factory's water comes from the Rutui river, and there are four soaking pits for recycling and purifying the water.