Kenya — Kamavindi Estate — SL34 AA

Location: Embu, Kenya
Producer: Peter Mbature
Process Station: Kamavindi Estate
Harvest: November–December 2024
Received: May 2025

Variety: SL34 (AA)
Altitude: 1750 masl
Process: Washed
Roast: Light Roast (Filter only)

Tasting Notes

🍓 Berries • 🍎 Red Apple • 🍑 Plum

Intro

This SL34 AA from Kamavindi Estate represents a benchmark expression of washed Kenyan coffee—precise, fruit-forward, and beautifully structured. It marks the first season we’ve been able to work with a fully separated lot from Kamavindi, allowing the clarity and character of this exceptional estate to shine through with remarkable definition.

The Producer

Peter Mbature and his team at Kamavindi Coffee have built a reputation for meticulous farm management and processing excellence in Embu County, just north of Nairobi. Peter’s deep understanding of varietal morphology—especially the nuanced ripeness indicators of SL cultivars—ensures that cherries are harvested at optimal maturity, even when visual cues differ across trees.

This is April's second season working with Peter, and each year his coffees continue to impress with their consistency, cleanliness, and depth.

The Process

After careful hand-picking, cherries are floated and skimmed before being pulped using a two-disk pulper. The coffee then undergoes an initial 20-hour fermentation in parchment, followed by a light wash to remove mucilage. The parchment is held for an additional 20 hours, then given a final wash before being transferred to raised drying beds.

Throughout fermentation, strict attention is paid to maintaining consistent mass and stable temperatures in the tanks. This precision minimizes the development of volatile or acetic acids and is key to achieving exceptional uniformity in the final cup.

Drying takes place over 14–18 days in a temperature-monitored drying room, where ambient temperatures are kept below 24°C. Given Kenya’s variable climate and rainfall, this controlled environment is essential for even drying and preserving the coffee’s clarity and structure.

The Cup

In the cup, this SL34 AA is vibrant and composed. Juicy 🍓 berry notes lead the profile, followed by crisp 🍎 red apple acidity and a deeper, rounded 🍑 plum sweetness. The cup is clean and articulate, with a bright yet balanced acidity and a refined, classic Kenyan character that lingers beautifully on the finish.

This is a precise, high-quality washed Kenyan coffee—one that highlights both the strength of SL34 and the thoughtful craftsmanship behind Kamavindi Estate.

What is the roast recency?

We recommend brewing with beans that are at least two weeks off roast. All beans are roasted to peak flavour at around 8-12 weeks. We have the option to either purchase standard beans (at least 2 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks off roast), or rested beans (at least 7 weeks off roast, no longer than 12). For peak flavour, if you are looking to use immediately, we recommend purchasing the rested beans. If you are adding to your rotation of beans, we recommend purchasing the standard and allowing the beans to naturally rest and mature whilst you rotate through other beans.