Kenya AB Kivanga *TOP LOT*

Kivanga Estate is owned and operated by Morssi Njage and his wife Linette. A lawyer by profession, Morris has now retired to focus on the 15 acre farm. As one of the first smallholder farmers to divert from the cooperative structure, Kivanga has done its own primary processing since 1983. The estate is situated at 1,800masl and 95% of the production is the SL34 varietal, with the remaining 5% being made up of Ruiru 11.

The farm takes its name from family tradition and lies in the Kibugu are of Embu county.

THE PROCESS

Staff selectively pick ripe coffee cherries and bring them to the central factory where they are hand-sorted before being pulped using a traditional 3-disc pulper. The coffee is then dry fermented for 12-36 hours depending on ambient conditions, after which it is thoroughly washed with clean water in grading channels to remove the remaining fruity mucilage. The coffee is then dried in the sun on raised beds for an average of 14 days, after which it is rested prior to hulling.

THE REGION

The region of Embu is located in the South Eastern foothills of Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in the country and 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.