Kenya — Kimaratia Farmer's Co-Op Gachika Factory SL-28, Batian & Ruiru 11 (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍈 Grapefruit • 🍊 Orange • 🍇 Red Grape

DETAILS

• Producer: 750 Kimaratia Farmer's Co-Op Members
• Station: Gachika Coffee Factory
• Region: Kiambu, Kenya
• Varietal: SL-28, Batian & Ruiru 11
• Process: Washed (AA Grade)
• Size: 250g

INTRO

Following last month's popular Gachika AB, Prodigal Coffee now present the AA grade — a citrus-forward, vivid, and limited lot from Gachika Coffee Factory in Kiambu. Grapefruit and orange at the fore, with a satisfying red grape finish. With Kenyan coffees looking particularly limited this year, this is one not to miss. In the cup: grapefruit, orange, and red grape.

THE PRODUCER

Gachika Coffee Factory is associated with the Kimaratia Farmer's Co-Op — a collective of 750 producing partners in Kiambu, one of Kenya's most storied and historically significant coffee-growing regions. Situated on the fertile slopes surrounding Nairobi, Kiambu benefits from volcanic soils, high altitude, and a stable growing climate that has long made it one of the country's most respected producing areas.

All cherry delivered to the factory is processed using water from the Theta River. SL-28 and SL-34 — developed by Scott Laboratories in the 1930s — are the backbone of Kenya's specialty identity, producing the bold blackcurrant and citrus acidity and full body that define the country's finest lots. Batian, a newer disease-resistant variety developed by the Coffee Research Institute of Kenya in 2010, contributes additional sweetness and structure, while Ruiru 11 rounds out the blend with further depth.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Gachika involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Ripe cherries selectively harvested by co-op member farmers and delivered to the factory 🔧 Pulping — Outer skin removed using water supplied from Theta River ⏳ Overnight resting — Pulped coffee rests overnight before washing 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed the following day to remove all fermentation residue 🛁 Traditional Kenyan soaking — Coffee soaked in clean water after washing — a distinctive step in the Kenyan washed process that enhances clarity and brightness ☀️ Table drying — Dried on raised drying tables to optimal moisture content

The traditional Kenyan soaking step is the defining step — after washing, the coffee is submerged in clean water for an additional period, a practice that produces the exceptional clarity, brightness, and clean citric acidity that distinguish Kenyan washed coffees from those of other origins.

THE CUP

A vivid, citrus-forward, and limited AA-grade Kenya from one of Kiambu's most connected cooperative factories — grapefruit and orange brightness at the fore, with a satisfying red grape sweetness in the finish. A clean, well-structured, and thoroughly rewarding Kenyan washed coffee.

Flavour Notes

🍈 Grapefruit 🍊 Orange 🍇 Red Grape