Kenya Kahindu Wangu AA

The coffee from Kahindu, part of the New Weithaga Farmers' Cooperative Society (FCS), offers a powerful and classic Kenyan character! Here you will find clear notes of black currants, deep dark and sweet cherries, and a slightly astringent acidity reminiscent of cranberries. Irresistibly tasty!

The farmers who supply the Kahindu Factory with coffee charries mainly grow the SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11 varieties in small coffee gardens, which are on average less than one hectare in size. SL28 and SL34 were originally developed by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (SAL) in the 1930s and 1940s. They quickly became popular with Kenyan growers due to their deep root systems, making them particularly suitable for growing in areas without irrigation. These varieties contribute greatly to the intense flavor profile and expressive aroma that have made Kenyan coffee so popular around the world.

Ruiru 11 is a new variety known for its disease resistance and high yields. It also starts yielding fruit after just 2 years.

Smallholders selectively handpick only ripe cherry and deliver it to Kahindu Factory. At intake, the Cherry Clerk oversees meticulous visual sorting and floating, accepting only dense, ripe cherry. After intake, cherry is pulped and fermented for approximately 12 hours. Following fermentation, parchment is laid to dry on raised beds. Workers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. They cover drying parchment during the hottest time of day, to maintain slow, even drying and at night, to shelter parchment from moisture.

Kenyan coffees are classified by size and within the speciality coffee spectrum there are three sizes that are applicable.

• Kenya AA - the largest beans, with a size of 17/18 (over 7.2 mm)

• Kenya AB - slightly smaller beans, 15/16 in size

• Kenya PB (Peaberry) where only one round bean developed in the cherry instead of two flat ones

This careful management at every stage - from variety selection to processing - is a key explanation for why coffee from Kenya, and especially from facilities like Kahindu, is considered some of the world's best.

COFFEE IN KENYA

Though coffee growing had a relatively late start in Kenya, the industry has gained and maintained a impressive reputation and is now recognised by its very high quality, meticulous preparation and exquisite flavors.

Today, more than 600,000 smallholders farming fewer than 5 acres compose 99% of the coffee farming population of Kenya. Their farms cover more than 75% of total coffee growing land and produce nearly 70% of the country’s coffee. These farmers are organized into hundreds of Farmer Cooperative Societies (FCS), all of which operate at least one factory. The remainder of annual production is grown and processed by small, medium and large land estates. Most of the larger estates have their own washing stations.

Most Kenyan coffees are fully washed and dried on raised beds. The country still upholds its reputation for high quality and attention to detail at its many washing stations. The best factories, like Kahindu, employ stringent sorting practices at cherry intake, and many of them have had the same management staff in place for years.

Kenya's coffee farms are generally small-scale, with coffee trees often co-existing with other food crops on the same plot.

Kahindu lies just south of Nyeri and backs onto the temperate slopes of the Aberdare Mountain range on its western borders. Fertile red volcanic soil provides plenty of nutrients for growing trees while warm daytime and cooler nighttime temperatures create anenvironment for beans to develop slowly.