When Ethiopian and Kenyan coffees begin to land in the States, all of us around these parts get pretty excited. Hopefully you got the chance to try (or at least read about) our Kayon Mountain from Ethiopia, but now we are pleased to bring you our latest coffee: Kibugu from the Embu region of Kenya.
Much of the reason for Kenyan coffee quality has to do with practices at the farm and washing station level. The soil is rich from historic volcanic activity on Mount Kenya, farmers are well-educated at best practices for cultivation and harvest, and community washing stations play a huge role in putting a final note on quality through their meticulous washing, fermentation and drying practices. Thus, even when you get a blended lot from many small farms that's been sorted for screen size, you end up with a 90+ coffee with huge, mind-blowing acidity.
So, what about this particular coffee? This year’s choice, coming from the Kibugu Farmer’s Cooperative Society, is as delicious as any we have tried in recent years. Grown in the ideal soils of Mount Kenya and processed with meticulous care, the coffee is bold, bright and exploding with lively flavors, just like a great Kenyan coffee should be. The Gikirima washing station, where this coffee was processed, is working with small farmers in the region to increase transparency, improve agricultural practices, and increase annual coffee production. This coffee has so much to offer after just a few trail runs with it: Grapefruit, melon, and hibiscus with a juicy blackberry body, not to mention hints of licorice and blood orange. In short, it's bumpin.