Kenya — Barichu Cooperative Karindundu Factory SL-28 & SL-34 (Washed)

Tastes Like — 🍋 Lime Zest • 🫐 Red Currant • 🍊 Pomelo • 🌿 Thyme

DETAILS

• Producer: ~520 Smallholder Farmers — Barichu Farmers' Cooperative Society
• Station: Karindundu Coffee Factory
• Region: Karatina, Nyeri County, Kenya
• Varietal: SL-28 & SL-34
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,700 MASL
• Rest: 4–6 weeks from roast

INTRO

From the Karindundu Coffee Factory on the slopes of Mount Kenya — one of four celebrated washing stations within the Barichu Farmers' Cooperative Society in Nyeri, and a factory that has consistently earned its place among Kenya's most respected specialty addresses. Vibrant, structured, and intensely citrus-forward. In the cup: lime zest, red currant, pomelo, and a distinctive thyme herbal note.

THE PRODUCER

Karindundu Coffee Factory was founded in 1985 and joined the Barichu Farmers' Cooperative Society in 1996. Located just outside the town of Karatina in Nyeri County — on the southwestern slopes of Mount Kenya — the factory sits within one of Kenya's most historically significant and consistently celebrated coffee-growing regions. Nyeri is sandwiched between the foothills of Mount Kenya to the east and the Aberdare mountain range to the west, creating a microclimate of exceptional stability and rainfall that, combined with the region's rich red volcanic soils, produces some of Kenya's most complex and intensely flavoured coffees.

Around 520 smallholder farmers — 350 men and 170 women — deliver cherry to Karindundu, each typically farming plots of half an acre or less with around 300 coffee trees. Intercropped with macadamia, bananas, maize, and beans, coffee remains the primary cash crop and the most significant source of income for member families. The cooperative supports its members through cash advances against each harvest, agricultural training, and a demonstration plot where sustainable farming practices can be observed and understood.

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 citrus-fruit character that define the country's finest lots.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at Karindundu involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Ripe cherries selectively harvested and hand-sorted by member farmers before delivery to the factory 🔧 Disc pulping — Outer skin removed through disc pulpers, with water channelling separating beans by density into three grades 🧪 Overnight fermentation — Beans fermented overnight with clean water refreshed every 12 hours to maintain clean, controlled conditions 💧 Channel washing & soaking — Washed through channels for additional density separation, then soaked in clean water overnight ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Dried on raised beds for 12–20 days, continuously turned and hand-sorted throughout

The overnight fermentation with regular water changes is the defining step — by refreshing the water every 12 hours throughout fermentation, Karindundu creates an environment where fermentation is tightly controlled and mucilage is effectively and cleanly removed, producing the exceptional brightness, vibrant citrus acidity, and clean structure that define this lot's lime zest and pomelo character.

THE CUP

A vibrant, structured, and intensely citrus-forward washed Kenyan from one of Nyeri's most consistently excellent cooperative factories — lime zest and pomelo brightness, red currant depth, and a distinctive thyme herbal note in a clean, well-defined cup with the classic intensity that has made Nyeri County so celebrated worldwide. Best enjoyed after a 4–6 week rest from roast.

Flavour Notes

🍋 Lime Zest 🫐 Red Currant 🍊 Pomelo 🌿 Thyme