Kenya GAKUYU-INI PEABERRY from Berlin-based roastery The Barn is exactly what you imagine Kenyan coffee to be - juicy, bright and surprisingly sweet. Notes of raspberry and blackcurrant jam dominate the cup , accompanied by the typical fresh acidity and long aftertaste. The use of exclusively peaberry beans - naturally smaller and rounder beans - gives the coffee a greater concentration of flavours and a more velvety texture. It is at its best when filtered, where its complexity comes out to the full.
This coffee is the brainchild of the Thirikwa Farmers Cooperative, a cooperative of small-scale farmers around the village of Gakuyu-ini. This area, situated at the foot of Mount Kenya, benefits from volcanic soil, high altitude and an ideal climate - a combination that produces coffees with a distinctive fruitiness and bright flavour. The cooperative is committed to transparency and quality, farmers receive fair farmgate prices and have access to training and support in processing.
The washed method of coffeeprocessing, also known as washed, is one of the cleanest and most precise methods, placing emphasis on the bean itself and its origin. After hand-picking, the coffee cherries are stripped of their skins and most of their pulp using a depulper. This is followed by fermentation in water tanks, usually lasting 12-48 hours, during which time any residual pulp (mucilage) that might affect the flavour is naturally broken down. After fermentation, the grains are rinsed several times with clean water to achieve a high purity and clarity of the final profile. Drying takes place on raised beds or concrete surfaces for 1-3 weeks. The result is a coffee with a clean and distinct flavour, higher acidity and a subtle complexity that perfectly reflects the character of the variety and terroir.
- Altitude: 1600-1700 m above sea level.
- Producer: Thirikwa Farmers Cooperative