Bluebird Coffee - Kamwangi Washed AB Separation | Kenya

Kenya — Kamwangi Coffee Factory Batian, Ruiru 11, SL28 & SL34 (Washed, AB)

Tastes Like — 🫐 Blueberry • 🍑 Red Plum

DETAILS

• Producer: Kamwangi Coffee Factory (1,000+ farmers)
• Region: Kirinyaga, Kenya
• Varietal: Batian, Ruiru 11, SL28 & SL34
• Process: Washed, Raised-Bed Dried
• Years of Collaboration: 7

INTRO
Kamwangi AB is back — seven years running, and there's still no getting enough. Kamwangi has become synonymous with the roastery over the past few years, with its juicy red berry profile and punchy acidity bringing everything loved most about Kenyan coffee to the table. This year it dazzled in a different way: delicate blueberry and red plum sweetness wash over the palate in waves, complemented by a juicy, plum-like acidity. In the cup: blueberry and red plum.

THE PRODUCER
Kamwangi Coffee Factory is located in the Kirinyaga region of Kenya, servicing well over 1,000 farmers in the surrounding area. Established in the early 80s, it's been producing some of the best washed coffees from Kirinyaga for the past 40 years, famous for high sweetness and bright acidity.

A visit to the factory in 2025 — the first buying trip to Kenya — revealed drying beds cascading down the slope into the valley below the station entrance, with Mount Kenya towering over the horizon. Farmers in the area grow mostly Batian and Ruiru 11 trees, supplementing their income with small livestock, avocados, and macadamia nuts. For the roastery, Kamwangi is a name associated with excellence; for these farmers, it's just one small part of their livelihood, far removed from cupping protocols and tasting notes.

Each year, the final options for the Kenyan shipment are cupped blind — and each year, multiple coffees from Kamwangi get selected blind from a table of 20+ different coffees. Almost all Kenyan coffee is a blend of Batian, Ruiru 11, SL28, and SL34, since a single factory services thousands of farmers each season — Batian and Ruiru 11 bring hardiness and disease resistance, alongside the varieties Kenya is famous for.

THE PROCESS
This lot is Washed and dried on raised beds — a method that removes the fruit before fermentation and drying, letting the varietal blend's naturally juicy, punchy character come through.

The consistency of this factory's washed processing, refined over 40 years, is the defining factor here — it's what allows this cup to shift character year to year (from bright red currants and hibiscus, to juicy plums and raspberry, to this year's delicate blueberry and red plum) while always delivering the balanced sweetness and acidity Kamwangi is known for.

THE CUP
Delicate blueberry and red plum sweetness wash over the palate in waves, complemented by a juicy, plum-like acidity that matches the high sweetness and balances the coffee in true Kenyan fashion.

Flavour Notes
🫐 Blueberry 🍑 Red Plum