kenya - kegwa

the kegwa station has been running since 1979 and serves around 1900 smallholders in the njukiini area of kirinyaga county, on the slopes of mount kenya. it belongs to the ngiriambu cooperative society, founded in 1997 for processing and marketing coffee: today that means 4500 registered members and two stations, kiri and kegwa.

the station sits right on the edge of the njukiini forest, and the forest keeps the microclimate cool all year round. rainfall is bimodal, temperatures run between 10 and 26 degrees, and the long rains fall in march–may, exactly during flowering ahead of the main harvest.

kirinyaga lies on the southern slope of mount kenya, the country's highest peak at 5199 m. altitude, volcanic soil and a tropical climate have made this one of kenya's finest coffee counties — the cup is known for its smooth body and bright acidity. the farms sit at roughly 1500–1580 metres.

together with local authorities and partners, ngiriambu trains its members in good agricultural practice, environmental care and keeping the stations to industry standard.

the coffee is hand-sorted, pulped, and left for 24 hours of dry fermentation — no water. this is the kenyan step that builds the depth of the acidity and that recognisable berry clarity in the cup.

after washing, the parchment dries on patios with constant turning until moisture reaches 13%. it then moves into raised wire-mesh bins where air circulates from every side; the coffee is turned regularly and conditions there while it waits for delivery to the dry mill.

at the mill it goes through the huller, which takes off every outer layer, and is packed into 60 kg jute bags with grainpro protection for export.

cherry, apricot, almond.

bright cherry acidity to open — juicy, with that springy kenyan tension. the cup then softens into ripe apricot, and the finish leaves an almond note: dry, warm, faintly marzipan. smooth body, lively acidity, long aftertaste. it shows best as filter.

sl28 and sl34 are the legendary kenyan selections of the 1930s: modest yields, but they are what gave the country its signature acidity and blackcurrant depth. batian is a more recent variety, more disease-resistant, that keeps the classic kenyan profile.

ab faq is the kenyan lot marking: ab is the mid screen size — the most common and most balanced category — and faq stands for a consistent average quality lot.