Kenya AB Kariani *TOP LOT*

This is a washed AB lot from Kariaini wetmill, Kirinyaga county, in Kenya's central highlands.

THE PRODUCERS

Kariaini wetmill (or factory) was established in 1954 and is one of eight factories operated by Mwirua Farmer Co-operative Society. The factory - managed by John Kinyua - is situated at 1,600masl and serves smallholder farmers in the local villages. The farmers typically have a small amount of land and cultivate the varieties of SL34, Ruiru 11 and Batian. The factory produces fully washed coffee with water from the Rundu River. As part of their membership, the co-operative provides the farmers with agronomic training, credit & financial services, and inputs such as fertilizer to increase yield and plant health.

THE PROCESS

The coffee is wet processed, whereby fully ripe cherries are:

• - Pulped
• - Fermented in water for 12 - 48 hours (depending on climatic conditions)
• - Washed and graded in clean water channels
• - Dried slowly over 2 - 3 weeks on raised African beds until the moisture content is reduced to 10-12%.

The coffee is then taken to a central dry mill where it is rested in parchment for 3 weeks before being hulled, cleaned and graded by bean size. Finally, the coffee is carefully handpicked before being bagged in GrainPro for export from Mombasa.

THE REGION

Kirinyaga county is located in Kenya's central highlands. Directly south of Mount Kenya - the second highest mountain in Africa after Kilimanjaro - the county's farmers utilise the abundant altitude and rich volcanic soils of the mountain's foothills to produce coffees characterised by their high quality, complexity and sweetness. Most farmers in the region are actually tea growers, but the climate and terroir is ideal for arabica cultivation.