Kenya

About This Coffee

Gicherori

This fully washed top lot is from the Gicherori washing station, established by the Kibugu Farmers' Co-operative Society in 1994. Based in Embu county, the Co-op works with around 1,100 local farmers who cultivate the varieties of Ruiru 11, SL28 and Batian at altitudes up to 1,800masl. The area surrounding Gicherori area is densely populated, so every effort is made to minimize impact.

Gicherori has long-term goals to increase coffee production, training seminars, and access to education and sustainable processes for the farmers they work with. They also maintain a demonstration plot that farmers can visit and reference in relation to their own plots.

The Process

The coffee cherries are hand sorted for unripes and overripes by the farmers before they go into production. The pulp is removed and the coffee is fermented for 24-36 hour under close shade depending on climate temperatures. After fermentation the coffees are washed and again graded by density in washing channels. They are then taken to the drying tables where they will be sun dried on African drying beds for 12 to 20 days (this time depends on weather conditions). Coffees are covered in plastic during midday and at night to protect the beans from night moisture and rains.

The Region

The Gicherori Factory sits on the slopes of Mount Kenya in the Manyatta division of the Embu County. Rich volcanic soil, annual rainfall of almost 2000m, and the abundance of SL 28 and SL 34 varieties all lend immense quality to the production of coffee in this specific area. 

The region of Embu is located in the southeastern foothills of Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in the country and the second highest in Africa after Kilimanjaro. The extinct volcano forms the backdrop for much of the surrounding country, as well as contributing to the soil fertility and cool air which allows Kenyan coffees to develop such excellence in the cup. 

Bordering Kirinyaga County to the west, Embu is one of Kenya’s traditional coffee-growing regions. Agriculture represents the largest sector of the local economy, with specialty coffee playing a significant role as a cash crop alongside tea and macadamia nuts.