—, Kenya, Embu; Central Province, AA Plus; Scr 17/18, Gicherori, full washed

Source / Processing / Story:

The total area under coffee cultivation in Kenya is estimated at 160,000 hectares. Plantations make up about one third of the area. However, the largest part of the land is used by smallholder farmers who assign themselves to cooperatives.

This coffee is coming from the Gicherori factory near Embu in Kenya’s Central Province on the beautiful southern slopes of Mt. Kenya. This region is famous for its rich soils with volcanic clay as well as for its good micro climate with enough rains. Gicherori belongs together with the Kathkwa, Ndunduri, Gikirima and Ngerwe factories to the Kibugu Farmers Cooperative Society. Around 1.100 farmers deliver their red and ripe cherries to the Gicherori factory. Here the coffees are pulped with a disc pulper and flow into a fermentation bin for a controlled fermentation process. Thereafter the coffee is washed and soaked in water channels and finally sun-dried on the African drying beds for up to 15 days, carefully covered during midday and at night.