Kenya Kamavindi-Gatura Station, SL28 & SL34 Slow Dry Natural

Kenya Kamavindi-Gatura Station, SL28 & SL34 Slow Dry Natural (2026 New Crop) (Natural (Slow Dry))

Tastes Like — 🌸 Purple Floral • 🌿 Hawthorn • 🍍 Pineapple • 🍓 Berry Jam

DETAILS

• Producer: Peter Mbature (Kamavindi Coffee Lab) with Rumukia Cooperative
• Farm: Gatura Factory
• Region: Nyeri, Kenya
• Varietal: SL28, SL34
• Process: Natural (Slow Dry)
• Altitude: ~1,700 MASL
• Harvest: Nov 2025, Arrived March 2026
• Size: 100g

INTRO

From the foothills of Nyeri, this slow-dry natural marks a compelling new chapter in Kenyan specialty coffee: a collaboration between exporter Peter Mbature of Kamavindi Coffee Lab and the Gatura Factory via the Rumukia Cooperative, aimed at reviving traditional Kenyan processing through full variety separation. The cup leads with spiced plum and redcurrant, lifted by a bright touch of yuzu and anchored by the layered red-fruit character that has made Kenya's heirloom SL varieties so distinctive.

THE PRODUCER

Peter Mbature is a Q grader, exporter, and third-generation steward of Kamavindi Farm in Embu — a pioneering specialty operation established in 1958 by his grandfather. Through Kamavindi Coffee Lab, Peter now works with factories across Kenya's central coffee-growing regions, championing techniques that highlight the clarity and nuance of traditional varieties.

This lot is the first release from a new collaboration with the Gatura Factory, part of the Rumukia Cooperative in Nyeri County. The project focuses on reintroducing full variety separation and double fermentation — practices that had faded from widespread Kenyan processing — whilst encouraging participating farmers to deliver only ripe SL28 and SL34 cherries. The result is a coffee that channels the vibrant structure and layered acidity long associated with the best of Kenya.

THE PROCESS

The Natural (Slow Dry) process at Gatura Factory involves:

• 🍒 Ripe cherry selection — Participating farmers deliver only fully ripe SL28 and SL34 cherries, hand-picked at peak maturity.
• ☀️ Slow dry natural — Whole cherries are dried slowly on raised beds, preserving fruit character whilst building body and depth.
• 👁️ Variety separation — SL28 and SL34 cherries are kept separate from other varieties on the factory's beds, maintaining the clarity of the heirloom profile.
• 📅 Careful moisture management — Cherries are turned regularly and protected during drying to ensure even moisture reduction and prevent over-fermentation.

The result is a cup that expresses the terroir of Nyeri, Kenya with precision and clarity.

THE CUP

A vivid, layered Kenya that leans floral and fruit-forward. Delicate purple-floral aromatics open the cup, lifted by a distinctive hawthorn note — herbal, softly sweet, and aromatic. Juicy pineapple brings tropical brightness through the middle, giving way to a dense, jammy red-berry sweetness that carries through a long, refined finish.

Flavour Notes

• 🌸 Purple Floral
• 🌿 Hawthorn
• 🍍 Pineapple
• 🍓 Berry Jam