Kii AB Separation Washed | Kenya

Kenya — Rung'eto Farmers' Cooperative Society, Kii Factory AB, SL-28, SL-34, Batian & Ruiru 11 (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍑 Dried Fig • 🍊 Bergamot • 🍵 Black Tea

DETAILS

• Producer: Rung'eto Farmers' Cooperative Society (850+ smallholder members)
• Station: Kii Factory
• Region: Kibugu district, Kirinyaga, Kenya
• Varietal: SL-28, SL-34, Batian & Ruiru 11
• Process: Washed
• Grade: AB
• Altitude: 1,310–1,900 masl
• Harvest: 2024/25
• Roast Profile: Filter
• Roaster: Nomad Coffee (Barcelona)

INTRO
Nomad loves Kenyan coffees for their intense fruit and bright acidity, and this lot from the Kii washing station is a good example of what they like in Kenya. In the cup: dried fig, bergamot, and a herbal note reminiscent of black tea.

THE PRODUCER
The Kii factory belongs to the Rung'eto Farmers' Cooperative Society, which brings together more than 850 smallholder producers in the Kibugu district, in the heart of Kirinyaga. Built in 1995 at the foot of Mount Kenya, the station takes its name from the Kii River, whose water is used for washing the coffee.

Each farmer works plots of less than a hectare, with an average of 250 trees, on high-altitude volcanic soils. Ripe cherries are picked by hand and delivered the same day to the factory, where the reception manager applies a strict visual selection, accepting only the densest, ripest cherries.

Kii AB refers to Kenya's grading by bean size. The sheet says AB beans pass through screens between 15 and 18, a size of 6–7 millimetres; the usual scheme puts AB at screens 15–16, one grade below AA at 17–18.

Kirinyaga sits at the foot of Mount Kenya, about 112 km from Nairobi. Locals call the mountain "Kirinyaga," the name behind the county's, meaning "the summit of whiteness," a reference to its snow-capped peaks.

The lot blends SL-28, SL-34, Batian, and Ruiru 11.

THE PROCESS
The Washed process for this lot involves:

🍒 Selective picking — only ripe cherry harvested by smallholders and delivered to Kii
🔍 Reception and sorting — strict visual selection of the densest, ripest cherries
🌱 De-pulping — cherries de-pulped
🛢️ Fermentation — 16–24 hours, depending on ambient temperature
🚿 Washing — washed with clean water from the Kii River
💧 Soaking — an additional 12 hours to refine acidity and clarity in the cup
☀️ Raised-bed drying — about 14 days, turned frequently and covered during the hottest hours and at night

All the water used in the process is filtered through earth pits before being returned to natural waterways.

The extra 12-hour soak after washing is the defining step. It refines the acidity and clarity.

THE CUP
Honeyed, enveloping, and very sweet, with a soft acidity reminiscent of dried fruit: dried fig, bergamot, and a black tea-like herbal note, with plum, raw honey, and papaya in the aroma and flavour. The aftertaste is long and very pleasant.

Flavour Notes
🍑 Dried Fig 🍊 Bergamot 🍵 Black Tea