Kihuyo Factory Mutheka Farmers Co-op Washed AA SL28 SL34

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Kihuyo Factory Mutheka Farmers Co-op Washed AA SL28 SL34

$14.00

This is traditional Kenya coffee, grown by many smallholders holding fewer than 5 acres of coffee trees (~160 trees) on average and being processed by one of many Famer Cooperative Societies (FCS) in order to be sold on the public market. This specific lot is a Nyeri lot that can contain as few or as many of the 6,000 smallholders that belong to the FCS on any given production day. This coffee was processed at Kihuyo Washing Station, owned and managed by Mutheka Growers Cooperative Society. Mutheka Growers own 7 stations, mostly surrounding Nyeri, in the central coffee region of Kenya. This coffee had an internal score of 88.75 by the importers. About 89% of this lot is comprised of SL28 and SL34, and the remaining 11% is Ruiru.

What we appreciate about this lot is that it feels like a nice blend of old school (rounded and sweet flavors: pear, brown sugars, soft) and new school Kenya (vibrant acidity and red/purple fruits: blackcurrant, plum, electric). Typically AA lots showcase the best acid Kenya has to offer and this lot is no exception to the rule. It has the mouth puckering acidity that we chase. That acid leans malic and tartaric (to us), over citric. Under the hood, there's nice pastry notes to the body, like a classic French pastry crust, cooked almond, stewed pear and rhubarb all wrapped in a caramelized brown sugar. That malic acidity and sweetness together remind us of the French pear tart dessert. The body is tartaric, clean and drying, like a strong white grape varietal -- think Sauvignon Blanc. The tea quality and strong plum flavor remind us of Maesil (fermented green plum) concentrate in a refreshing, Korean tea.

This lot could be comprised of any of the 6,000 smallholder farmers that belong to the Mutheka Growers FCS. Even though coffee farming has been the backbone of a good chunk of Kenya's economy since the 1930s, it hasn't been a sole way for farmers to earn an income. There are two harvests in Kenya, but they're dependent based on what side of the rift valley you fall on. This is unique in that, as a consumer, we can buy coffee year round. But, as a farmer, you still cannot harvest coffee year round from one site. This coffee falls in the central region of Kenya, east to the rift valley. Therefore, the coffee harvest happens late fall into as late as January. Arrivals typically land in the states March in late July.

Since coffee isn't a year round harvest for producers, many smallholders in Kenya that belong to FCS are invested in growing other cash crops in order to supplement income. They might grow avocado or banana to also act as shade trees. Others grow beans, macadamia nuts, and maize for themselves or to sell. All of this inadvertently promotes soil biodiversity and health, but its not the primary motive. Much of Kenyan coffee farming has not focused on healthy agroforestry practice. As the we've seen a harsh decline in Kenya's export and yield of coffee, the conversation has started to shift. There is still much headway to make and some (somewhat stubborn) political practice to navigate.

In Kenya, AA lot separation simply means that all of these seeds did not pass through the 17/18 sized screens, which is roughly 7mm wide. As a result, we're left with the largest seeds of the production day in one lot. Often, this is considered "the best" grade because the lots are known for being more vibrant and fruity. With that being said, we've tasted plenty of amazingly floral, sweet and complex AB and PB lots so we think this idea is a bit silly.

Kenya FCS washing station lots gather a bunch of small farmers coffee yields together on a single production day. At Kihuyo, cherries first get washed and pulped, then float-separated. Coffee then goes through the classic Kenyan double-fermentation stages. First stage is a 24 hour period in tank. Afterwards, seeds are washed again and sent into the secondary fermentation tank for another 12-24 hours. Finally, the twice fermented and washed seeds will enter soaking tanks where they can sit under clean water for as long as another 24 hours. This process allows for amino acid and protein development in the cellular structure, which is believed to result in higher levels of acidity and complex fruit flavors in the cup. Seeds are dried twice. First to 50% on drying tables. Then, they are quickly removed and transferred to where they can rest for 5-10 days in order to hit proper moisture activity.

This is our first Kenya we sourced and although we're thrilled about the coffee we ended up with, we're a bit apprehensive about how we sourced and the future sourcing of Kenyan coffee for us. This coffee doesn't lack quality, but we really feel the sourcing is not in the vain of what we want for this project. We're still gathering a foothold in the green coffee buying world and as a result, we've seen the shortcomings of what small quantity coffee buying is like. For now, mainly in African countries, we've had to resort to standard buying habits -- based primarily on coffee score quality rather than farm practice or relationship. We're sure the Mutheka Grower's Coop does great things, but we're so far removed from the process and many people sit inbetween us and an FCS in Kenya. In addition, lot transparency is just not where we want it to be in many FCS offerings.

We hope in the future to work more directly with small- to medium-sized estates or even individual producers looking to export their lots solely in the private market. Until then, we're going to be somewhat more quiet about our Kenya buys to keep our menu diverse for you all and our own tastes for Kenyan coffee quenched. Just know that we're working on it and we hope to build a better sourcing methodology for these coffees in the future.

Green cost: $19.03/kg (+$7.4/kg shipping)
Package and roasting costs: $2.91/bag; $10/kg
Profile and sample use: ~1kg
Approx. Margin: TBD (haven't recalculated on new roaster)

Resting: Wait around 35 days for peak experience (degas the night before by opening bag for about an hour). We're impatient and think this has tasted high clarity as early as 25 days after roast too.

We've primarily enjoyed this offering as a pourover and soup, but this is such beautiful coffee that is hard to do wrong by. Be careful though; it can be easier to stall than some of our other coffees due to the difference in standard roast profile.

Temperature range: 198-201°F
Water: Tap/Demineralized and Third Wave Water Light Roast
Grind Settings: Finer Coarse (500-650µm)
Target Drawdown Time: 2:45-3:00 (12g dose, with longer bloom)

2 Pour Recipe: (less likely to stall, high clarity, thinner)
1. 50g swirl bloom. Lightly swirl dripper. Wait 45-1 min.
2. Pour 150, but start light-medium agitation and flow rate while swirling. 100g in, transition to low flow rate, light agitation center pour until reaching 200g.

4 Pour Recipe: (sweeter, more intensity, more likely to stall)
1. Pour 1/4 water every 30 seconds with medium-low agitation. Swirl the dripper on the bloom.

Coffee should have moderate bypass and drain within 3 minutes total.

Drops are typically prepared in two formats: a standard 100g / 200g bag offering at your preferred roast level or as a roast experiment.

Standard bag lets you support the producer, exporter, and the project without having to buy and drink coffee you're less interested in. You still get to observe and critique our roast methods at your preferred lightness but in larger quantities.
Roast experiment lets you participate in 3 blind tastings of 60g bags to evaluate 3 different roast curves. After the drops have been released, profile info and our own sensory feedback will be shared alongside any collected feedback from tasters.

Note that roast level selection does not apply to experiments sent out.

We work as quickly as possible to roast and ship your coffee within a week of your order placement. Times vary on roaster rental availability and our limited roasting schedule. We typically roast on two subsequent days twice a month. Once your order has shipped, you will receive an email with further information. Delivery times vary on location.

Because we are selling an agricultural product with limited shelf life, we do not accept returns. However, our goal is for every customer to be absolutely satisfied with their purchase. If you aren't enjoying the experience, let us know in an Instagram DM and we'll do our best to work with you to make it right!

Kihuyo Factory Mutheka Farmers Co-op Washed AA SL28 SL34

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