Kenya Kieni AB Washed
Current listingKenya
Skylark Coffee

Kenya Kieni AB Washed

Ceylon TeaBlack CurrantLemon Soda

Roaster notes

Here's our second washed Kenyan coffee of the year, this time a bright and sparkling lot with notes of Ceylon tea, black currant, and lemon soda. Fruity-sweet and perfectly acidic, it's one of our favourites for cold brews this summer. We sourced this coffee through our good friends at Falcon. Here's a bit more about Kieni from their team: Kieni wet mill is situated in Nyeri, in Kenya’s central highlands, at an elevation of 1,700 metres above sea level. It is operated by the Mugaga Farmers’ Cooperative Society and serves approximately 1,000 smallholder members from the surrounding area. Nyeri County is characterised by cool temperatures and fertile red volcanic soils typical of the central highlands, commonly known as nitisols. The region lies between the eastern foothills of the Aberdare mountain range, part of the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley, and the western slopes of Mount Kenya. Nyeri town also serves as a gateway for visitors travelling to Aberdare National Park and Mount Kenya. Coffee produced in Nyeri generally develops and matures slowly, which contributes to the formation of dense, hard beans. This quality is reflected in the cup through pronounced acidity and a rich, syrup-like mouthfeel. For this reason, Nyeri has long been recognised as one of Kenya’s most important coffee-producing regions. Coffee is cultivated mainly on the slopes and upper plateau, where most farming families live. The land is divided into small family plots, with each household managing its own coffee trees. The mill has introduced an electronic weighing system that records the weight of cherry deliveries and provides each farmer with a printed receipt. The receipt also shows a cumulative total of the coffee delivered over time. This coffee is fully washed. After delivery to the wet mill, the cherries are pulped to remove the outer skin and fruit. Wastewater from this stage is directed into soaking pits for recirculation, supporting water conservation. Pulping is carried out using a disc pulper with three sets of discs that separate the skin and fruit from the parchment-covered bean. The coffee is then fermented overnight to break down residual sugars, after which it is washed, soaked, and spread on raised drying beds. Drying typically takes between 7 and 15 days, depending on climatic conditions and ambient temperature, until the moisture content reaches 10-12%. In some cases, drying may extend over two to three weeks under slower conditions. The coffee is then transferred to the dry mill and stored in parchment in traditional warehouses known as bodegas until it is ready for dry milling and export. Elevation: 1700 MASL Varietal: SL28, SL34, Ruiru11 Cup score: 87 Price paid per kg: £11.03 Process: Washed

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£12.00/ 250g

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Coffee data

Origin
Kenya
Process
Washed

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PRE-ORDER: Colombia Edinson Argote Co-Ferment Tasting Set
Skylark Coffee
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£29.00 / 420g£6.90/100g
PRE-ORDER: 90+ Gesha Tasting Set
Skylark Coffee
Orange JuiceBergamotCeylon Tea
Process Washed

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£39.00 / 560g£6.96/100g
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Skylark Coffee
Jaffa Cake Goodness
Process Washed

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£12.00 / 250g£4.80/100g
Colombia Edinson Argote Peach Melba
Skylark Coffee
Raspberry
Process Washed

Allergy warning: this coffee was processed using peach juice and pulp, so it should not be consumed by anyone with an allergy or sensitivity to peaches. Those of you familiar with Edinson Argote's pink and orange bourbons will know his coffees are always a force to be reckoned with. We're in awe of his tenacity and innovative processing styles that create incredibly delicious coffees, and this peach co-ferment is no exception. If you're craving something loud and juicy, look no further! This coffee is practically exploding with peachy goodness, but there's a bit of nuance there as well ... sweet notes of raspberry and vanilla tie it all together to create a bold Peach Melba experience you won't soon forget. Edinson Argote and Ángela Rojas recently joined forces to create the Quebraditas Project, which includes two farms – Chorro Alto and Quebraditas. Ángela had originally left the countryside to study nursing, but ultimately returned home during the COVID-19 pandemic to exchange her nursing career for a life in coffee. This coffee is from Quebraditas, their family-run farm dedicated to producing premium coffee with standout and reproducible sensory profiles thanks to innovative fermentation processes, including thermal shock and yeast inoculation. They also focus on agronomic management and soil care (strategic shading, use of organic matter, maintenance of soil pH and calcium) that allows them to increase the potential of each crop. Ángela manages the administration, while Edinson oversees coffee processing and farm operations. They also collaborate with two other farms – one in La Plata, which grows varieties such as Sidra and SL28, and another in the Argentina region, while additionally purchasing coffee cherries from San Adolfo. Their coffee farms are located at an altitude of 1600-1850 meters above sea level in the central Huila Mountains. These farms cover 18 hectares, and while most of the land is planted with traditional varieties such as Caturra and Colombia, at least 1 hectare is reserved exclusively for special varieties, including Eugenoides, Bourbon Pointu, Geisha, Java, Bourbon Chiroso, Wush Wush, Bourbon Ají, Papayo, Pacamara, Sudan Rume, and Arará. The vision is to eventually grow only these non-traditional varieties. To process this lot, cherries were floated to remove green, overripe, and dry cherry. It was then oxidised in food-grade plastic drums for 12 hours and depulped without using water. After fermenting for 24 hours in an open tank to remove mucilage, fermentation continued for 72 hours at temperatures below 25°C with a mix of ripe peach and specific yeasts. After fermentation, the coffee was washed and dried for 42 hours at 38°C. Finally, it was stabilised and prepared for transport in GrainPro-type bags. Elevation: 1850 Meters Above Sea Level Varietal: Caturra Price paid per kg: £17.95 Process: Peach Co-Fermented

£19.00 / 250g£7.60/100g