2026 New Crop Kenya Kamavindi coffee lab SL28&SL34 AA Fully Washed

Kenya — Peter Mbature Kamavindi Coffee Lab SL28 & SL34 AA (Fully Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍓 Raspberry • 🍑 Plum • 🌱 Fresh Rhubarb • 🍵 Black Tea • 🍬 Light Brown Sugar

DETAILS

• Producer: Peter Mbature
• Farm: Kamavindi Coffee Lab
• Region: Embu, Kenya
• Varietal: SL28 & SL34 (AA Grade)
• Process: Fully Washed
• Altitude: 1,650–1,750 MASL
• Harvest: November 2025 — Arrived March 2026

INTRO

From Peter Mbature at Kamavindi Coffee Lab in Embu — one of the most iconic family-run coffee estates on the slopes of Mount Kenya, founded in 1958 by Peter's grandparents and carrying a name that speaks of the land's deep agricultural heritage. An AA-grade fully washed SL28 & SL34 of vibrant fruit, tartness, and classic Kenyan structure. In the cup: raspberry, plum, fresh rhubarb, black tea, and a light brown sugar sweetness.

THE PRODUCER

Kamavindi takes its name from the stream that runs through the property — a name that carries a beautiful dual meaning in the local tradition. "Ka" means "place" in the Embu language, while "mavindi" refers to the inedible part of the yam — a reference to a time before British colonisation when yams were a key cash crop in the region. Villagers would wash yams in the stream, leaving root cuttings to take root and grow along its banks. The estate's name is thus a quiet tribute to abundant land and enduring family legacy.

Founded in 1958, Kamavindi has been developed with the same generational care and attention across three generations of the Mbature family. Peter now leads the operation as both farmer and innovator — the Coffee Lab designation reflecting an ongoing commitment to quality experimentation and precision that sets this estate apart from conventional cooperative lots. We know Peter well from the Mazelab descriptions written earlier in this session, where his collaboration with Mazelab on the slow indoor drying programme has produced some of the most compelling Kenyan lots of recent seasons.

SL28 and SL34, developed by Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the 1930s, are the backbone of Kenya's specialty identity — responsible for the bold berry and stone fruit acidity, full body, and complex fruit character that define the country's finest lots.

THE PROCESS

The Fully Washed process at Kamavindi involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — SL28 & SL34 cherries selectively harvested at peak ripeness 🔧 Pulping — Outer skin removed before fermentation 🧪 Fermentation — Beans fermented to break down remaining mucilage 💧 Washing & soaking — Thoroughly washed and soaked in clean water after fermentation — a classic Kenyan step that enhances clarity and brightness ☀️ Drying — Dried on raised beds to optimal moisture content

The post-wash soaking is the defining step — a traditional feature of the Kenyan fully washed process that produces the exceptional brightness and clean citric clarity that distinguish Kenyan washed coffees, while the AA-grade screen selection ensures consistent bean size and an even, concentrated cup across the entire lot.

THE CUP

A vibrant and classically structured fully washed Kenyan AA from one of Embu's most historically significant and carefully managed family estates — raspberry brightness, plum depth, fresh rhubarb tartness, and a black tea elegance with light brown sugar sweetness in a clean, complex, and deeply rewarding cup.

Flavour Notes

🍓 Raspberry 🍑 Plum 🌱 Fresh Rhubarb 🍵 Black Tea 🍬 Light Brown Sugar