Kenyan Gatanga PB from Kiambu (FW)

The full washed Kenyan Gatanga we sourced via Bespoke coffees.

Kenya

Kenya has is a geographically diverse country. In the East there is a coastline of 536 km (333 mi). Of course this coastline is along the Indian Ocean.Roughly in the middle is Mount Kenya, which is almost 5200 masl, the highest altitude in the country.

To the North is Ethiopia and South Sudan, considered the birthplace of Arabica. Two of Africa large lakes are shared with Kenya; Lake Turkana and the famous Lake Victoria.

Of course the country has a long history associated to homosapiens. Most probably the first of them settling in the country around the 3rd millennium BCE.

Kenyan Coffee

Even though the likely birth place of Arabica is just to the north of Kenya, coffee was introduced as a crop. First by French missionaries in 1893, who introduced coffees from Rénuion (Bourbon), and then by the British on a larger scale, who mainly used coffees that came from Brazil.

A number of Scott Agricultural Laboratories (Scott Labs) cultivars were introduced to Kenya, with SL28 becoming the cultivar most associated to Kenya.

Many coffee pundits sing the praises of Kenyan coffee. Well known for its good bright berry and fruit like acidity with an accompanying sweetness. In addition complexity of their coffees have made them world-renowned.

Kiambu

Kiambu is a central region in Kenya, that is typically dominated by larger estates. The smallholders tend to work with cooperatives (like with this coffee Gatanga). While their main crop is October-December, they also have a fly crop in July and August.

Presently the cultivars most popular in the region are SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru 11 and Batian. Consequently there are all in the coffee we have, albeit peaberry grade.

Kenyan Gatanga

The climate in Gatanga is warm and temperate. Gatanga has a significant amount of rainfall during the year. True even during the driest month. Average annual temperature is 18.6 °C in Gatanga. Precipitation averages 1243 mm. New Gatanga neighbours the Kyama and Gitathura rivers. Both originate in the Aberdare Hills, a tourist attraction in its own right. The Kikuyus are the most populous tribe in Kenya, and Kiambu is from the Kikuyu phrase meaning ‘place of many drizzles’, which may not please the tourists but is lovely for the coffee.