Gicherori, Kenya

Kenya is an origin we will always find ourselves coming back to, coffee produced in Kenya is always recognisable and always a joy to drink. Gicherori Factory serves over 1,200 smallholder members, each managing between 100 – 1,000 trees. They harvest between October and December where the cherries are handpicked in the early morning and then sent straight to the wet mill after harvest.

The cherries are then spread out for sorting where the under-ripe and over-ripe cherries are removed.  The cherries are pulped and the outer fruit is removed, the beans are separated by density and then directed into fermentation tanks where they are left overnight. Once the mucilage has broken down, the beans are washed thoroughly and directed into tiled washing channels, they are repeatedly pushed uphill by hand using wooden shunts. This traditional method is another way of ensuring only the highest quality beans are used, it pushed the lighter beans up stream faster and allows for them to be removed. Finally, the beans are laid onto raised drying beds and are dried under careful supervision. The resulting flavour for this washed Kenyan is a beautifully classic profile of Blackberry, Rhubarb and Citrus.