A Matter of Concrete - /056 KENYA — RUNG’ETO KIANGOI

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

Tastes Like — 🍓 Raspberry • 🫐 Layered Berries • 🌹 Rosewater • 💜 Violet

DETAILS

• Producer: ~1,150 Smallholder Farmers — Rung'eto Farmers' Cooperative Society
• Station: Kiangoi Factory
• Region: Ngariama, Gichugu Division, Kirinyaga, Kenya
• Varietal: SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru 11 & Batian
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,600–1,800 MASL
• Size: 240g

INTRO

From Kiangoi Factory in Kirinyaga — a classic example of why this region remains one of the most important and consistently rewarding in all of Kenya. A reference point for the kind of Kenyan profile A.M.O.C. look for: intense, clean, complex, and full of layered fruit. In the cup: raspberry, layered berries, rosewater, violet, sweet forest fruit, and a mild lemon acidity.

THE PRODUCER

Kiangoi Factory is managed by the Rung'eto Farmers' Cooperative Society, sitting near Embu in the Ngariama location of Gichugu Division on the slopes of Mount Kenya. Around 1,150 smallholder producers from the surrounding villages deliver cherry to the wet mill — growing SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru 11, and Batian in the rich volcanic Nitisol soil that characterises the region, known for its strong physical and chemical properties and the dense, well-structured coffees it supports. Kiangoi also sits within tea-growing zones — a distinctive agricultural landscape that adds another layer of character to the surrounding environment.

The cooperative was formed following the dissolution of Ngiriama FCS, bringing Kiangoi, Karimikui, and Kii together under the Rung'eto society. A.M.O.C. have been buying coffees from Rung'eto since 2016, and the relationship has become a cornerstone of their Kenyan offering.

SL-28 and SL-34, developed by Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the 1930s, are the backbone of Kenya's specialty identity — responsible for the bold berry acidity, full body, and complex fruit character that define the country's finest lots. Ruiru 11 and Batian — both developed by the Coffee Research Institute of Kenya for disease resistance — contribute additional sweetness and structural complexity to the blend.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Kiangoi involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Cherries selectively harvested and hand-sorted at the factory gate before processing 🔧 Disc pulping — Outer skin removed using a 3-disc Agaarde disc pulper, with coffees separated by density 🧪 Fermentation — Higher grades fermented separately in concrete tanks for 18–36 hours 💧 Washing & channel grading — Thoroughly washed and graded again through channels after fermentation 💧 Overnight soaking — Coffee sometimes soaked overnight after washing for additional clarity ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Dried slowly on African raised beds for 12–20 days

The separate fermentation of higher grades and the overnight soaking are the defining steps — by fermenting the finest coffee in its own tank and soaking after washing, Kiangoi builds the exceptional clarity, vibrant acidity, and layered berry complexity that make this lot such a reliable reference point for great Kenyan washed coffee.

THE CUP

A structured, vibrant, and intensely juicy washed Kenyan from one of Kirinyaga's most consistently excellent cooperative factories — raspberry and layered berry intensity, rosewater and violet florality, sweet forest fruit depth, and a mild lemon acidity in a clean, complete, and deeply rewarding cup. A.M.O.C.'s reference point for Kenyan coffee, and fully deserving of that status.

Flavour Notes

🍓 Raspberry 🫐 Layered Berries 🌹 Rosewater 💜 Violet