Kenya — Gerald Njagi Kambarare SL (Washed)*

Tastes Like — 🌺 Hibiscus • 🍈 Grapefruit • 🍇 Currants

DETAILS

• Producer: Gerald Njagi
• Farm: Kambarare
• Region: Kirinyaga, Kenya
• Varietal: SL* (believed SL34)
• Process: Washed
• Elevation: 1,950 masl
• Harvest: November 2025
• Farm Gate Price: $18.40/kg | DDP: $20.59/kg

INTRO The main SL* separation from Gerald Njagi's main plot at Kambarare — Gerald is one of the most impressive Kenyan producers around, and this marks his second year working on the Retro 1984 project. Hibiscus tartness leads, with grapefruit brightness and a currant depth throughout. In the cup: hibiscus, grapefruit, and currants.

THE PRODUCER Gerald Njagi is a third-generation coffee producer who began his own farm by leasing his first 100 trees in 2011. Today he manages much of the Kambarare estate and oversees all post-harvest processing. His family now owns 1,000 trees total, continuing a legacy of quality production. Over the years, Gerald has become one of the closest, most trusted producer collaborators — helping lead processing experiments while consistently producing some of the highest-scoring Kenyan coffees tasted.

This is the first year of Retro 1984, a collaborative project between Peter Mbature, Tim Hill, and SEY, born from a shared concern about declining quality in Kenyan coffees. The name references the year just before Ruiru 11's introduction in Kenya, with the project focused on returning to SL variety separations and exploring their full potential.

This lot is believed to be composed entirely of SL34, though recent genetic testing on other Kenyan farms has begun to challenge long-held assumptions about which varieties are actually being cultivated — an ongoing research question, with updated findings to come.

THE PROCESS Cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness, floated and hand-sorted to further remove defects, then de-pulped the same day. The coffee is mixed for uniform distribution and dry-fermented for 36 hours in a single bucket, hand-sorted again, then dried on raised beds until moisture reaches 10.5%.

The single-bucket 36-hour dry fermentation is the defining step — a deliberately controlled, small-batch approach that builds the tart hibiscus and grapefruit brightness that define this cup.

THE CUP Tart and bright — hibiscus leads the cup, with grapefruit acidity through the middle and a currant depth on the finish. A meaningful step in the project to revive Kenya's classic SL variety profiles.

Flavour Notes 🌺 Hibiscus 🍈 Grapefruit 🍇 Currants