Superlative Coffee Roasters
Kenya Kangunu AB
Kenya Kangunu AB
Single Origin | Omni Roast
Region: Murang'a County
Varietal: Ruiru 11, SL 28, Batian
Process: Fully Washed & Dried on Raised Beds
Altitude: 1600 Metres
Tasting Notes: Red apples and Soft lime
This coffee was produced by numerous smallholder farmers, all of whom are members of the Kagaari South Farmers Cooperative Society delivering to the Kangunu Coffee Factory, located Kenya’s Embu district near the town of Runyenjes. The region, located on the slopes of Mounth Kenya, is well-known for producing some of the best coffees coming out of Kenya, today, and this AB lot is no exception.
First established in 1998, the mill where we buy the coffee from, named the Kangunu Farmers’ Co-operative Society, currently supports nearly 1,700 smallholder producers who bring their cherries to the Factory. Located within the Mathioya division in the Njumbi location, Nyakienga Sub-location of the Muranga County – the Factory was opened by the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Masinde Muliro.
Farmers selectively handpick the ripest, reddest cherries, which are then either delivered directly to the cooperative’s wet mill or received at one of 4 collection points and then ferried over on the same day. Cherries are stringently hand sorted prior to pulping, with damaged and under ripe cherries being separated out from the red, ripe lots (the process is overseen by the ‘cherry clerks’ who are specifically tasked with overseeing and keeping records for payments). The factory uses disc pulper with three sets of discs to remove the skin and fruit from the inner parchment layer that is protecting the green coffee bean. The nearest water source is the Kangunu stream, and the factory is dependent on electrical pumps to move water to reservoir tanks before using it for processing. Water is also recirculated for conservation. After pulping, the coffee is fermented overnight to break down the sugars, before being washed through washing channels (which separate for density), soaked and spread out on raised drying tables. The coffee is then dried for between 7 to 15 days, depending on climate, ambient temperature and volumes under processing. While drying, the parchment is repeatedly moved and sorted to remove any damaged or discoloured beans and is covered during the hottest part of the day to maintain even temperatures.