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Kimatu Factory Rwama Farmers Co-op Washed AB SL28 SL34

$14.00

This is traditional Kenya FCS coffee. It is grown by many smallholders holding fewer than 5 acres of coffee trees (~160 trees) on average and is processed by the Rwama farmer cooperative societies (FCS) in order to be sold on the public market. This specific lot is a Kirinyaga county lot that can contain as many as 800 smallholders coffees depending on the production day. This coffee was processed at Kimatu Washing Station, which is one of three factories owned and managed by Rwama Farmers Cooperative. This lot is an AB, which is often seen as lower quality but is actually just a screen size separation (of "15-16" through the sieve) of the seeds.

Often times, AB profiles are less acid forward, which can leave room for florals to shine. In this cup, we notice less structure, a slightly "blendier", and concentrated profile to the body. In the aroma, white florals are present alongside a slightly bitter floral finish that reminded us of steeped rose. Aside from that, we experience classic Kenya notes of strawberry jam and rhubarb. There is a mild savory origin flavor that sits in with the blendy body, almost like pie crust.

This coffee launched on October 13th as part of Drop 12!

Varietal: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11

Process: Traditional Kenya double washed. Coffee gets mechanically depulped, then fermented overnight in open air concrete. A second wash removes excess mucilage before coffee is laid to dry drying for 9–13 days.

Region: Kirinyaga, Kenya

Altitude: 1700 masl

Funk: 1/5

Sourced by Falcon.

This lot could be comprised of any of the 800 smallholder farmers that belong to the Rwama Growers FCS. Farmers bring their harvest to the Kimatu Factory in the Njukiini ward of eastern Kirinyaga to be processed.

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.

In Kenya, AB lot separation simply means that all of these seeds passed through the AA screen (17/18) but did not pass through the 16/15 sized screens, which is roughly 7mm wide. As a result, we're left with the second largest selection of seeds of the production day in one lot. Often, this is considered "lower grade" because it's believed that "the juiciest" seeds are typically the largest. However, we do not find that to be the case with many AB lots we taste. Instead, AA seem to be where the mouth puckering acid lies, while AB has much more of the layered complexity and florals. Usually, you do lose some separation of flavors (i.e. blendier tasting) in AB lots though.

Kenya FCS washing station lots gather a bunch of small farmers coffee yields together on a single production day. At Kimatu, 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 second time souricng a Kenya coffee and we went the FCS route again. The private estate coffee is well sought out after and felt like the more "hyped" avenue to purchase so we did not feel much better purchasing that way this year. We'll acknowledge that we're still learning how to source Kenya. We wanted an AB this time and the Falcon coffee we sourced earlier in the year was one of our favorites across many different samples. So, we bought from their team again. We were after an AB profile because we were chasing floral character, which we hadn't really seen much this year in Kenyas. ABs can often have them because they are usually quieter on the acid front. We also noticed that this cup has a slightly "blendier" origin grain-like quality to the body. But, we also saw some of those pink and white florals in the aroma and finish that we were chasing.

Green cost: $15.40/kg (+$2/kg shipping)
Package and roasting costs: $2.91/bag; $10/kg
Profile and sample use: ~4kg
Approx. Margin: 35-40%

Resting: We recommend waiting 30 days before cracking the bag, but expect the cup to have peak "lack of roast environment character" in the 40-45 days range on pourover. Degas the night before by opening bag and then sealing. We're impatient and think this has tasted "peak flavor" (but still gassy) as early as two weeks after roast too. This is all to say: choose your own battle. Crack the bag early, try brewing and if the gas is a distraction for you, know that it will rest out in 1.5 months. Most importantly, have fun. :)

We've primarily enjoyed this offering as a pourover. We brew for QC:

Temperature range: 198-201°F (More clean coffee gets hotter water)
Water: Tap/Demineralized and Third Wave Water Light Roast
Grind Settings: Typically Medium Coarse (650-750µm)
Target Drawdown Time: 2:45-3:00
Less rest = less pours for us; we typically add a pour every two weeks

Freshly roasted 1 Pour Recipe:
Pour 1/4 water bloom and swirl dripper softly to incorporate bed fully. Wait 1 minute. Pour 3/4 water in spiral motion with 5-7g/s flow rate. With 1/4 water left, slow down flow rate to 3-4g/s. Expect drawdown to be in the 2 - 2:30 minute range for 12 to 15 gram brews.

Rested 4 Pour Recipe:
1. Pour 1/4 water every 30 seconds with medium-high agitiation (5-8g/s). Swirl the dripper on the bloom. Adjust agitation and grind size to hit expected drawdown time of 2:20-2:45 seconds on 12 to 15 gram brews.

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.

This is a side project that isn't in a place to pay our bills at the moment. We're actively trying our best in the two days we work on Base Coat a week to fulfill as quickly as possible. Volume has gone significantly up recently -- a great problem to have -- and we're doing our best to adapt. We roast every two weeks and try to get orders out within a week of your order placement. At latest, it takes us two weeks and if that is the case, expect an extra item in your bag as an apology.

Our 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!

Kimatu Factory Rwama Farmers Co-op Washed AB SL28 SL34

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