EAAGADS Estate, SL28 & Ruiru 11 Washed AA | Kenya

Kenya — EAAGADS Estate SL28 & Ruiru 11 Washed (oma Exclusive)

Tastes Like — 🍒 Dried Cranberry • ❤️ Redcurrant • 🍑 Plum Juice • 🍬 Cane Sugar

DETAILS

• Producer: EAAGADS Estate
• Region: Kiambu, Kenya
• Varietal: SL28 & Ruiru 11
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1,600 MASL
• Harvest: 2026
• Lot: oma Exclusive
• Size: 150g

INTRO

This oma Exclusive Washed lot from EAAGADS Estate in Kiambu is a richly sweet, fruit-laden Kenyan that leans into the darker, more syrupy end of the SL28 and Ruiru 11 flavour spectrum. Where many Kenyan Washed lots lead with bright, piercing acidity, this selection — grown on EAAGADS's fertile volcanic soils along the Chania River and processed through the estate's traditional Washed method — delivers a juicy, almost dessert-like character: dried cranberry, redcurrant, and plum juice held together by a cane sugar sweetness that lingers through a long, satisfying finish.

EAAGADS Estate is one of Kiambu County's most historically significant farms — established in 1946 and publicly listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange — and this oma-exclusive lot is drawn from the estate's 2026 harvest, representing some of the finest SL28 and Ruiru 11 production from a single storied origin.

THE PRODUCER

Eaagads Estate is a coffee farm located in the highlands of Kiambu County in Kenya. Established in 1946, it is now owned by Eaagads Company Limited, a company publicly listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. The farm spans approximately 205 hectares at an altitude of 1,600 MASL, situated along the Chania River, benefiting from fertile volcanic soils and a cool climate ideal for Arabica cultivation, with an annual production of around 350 tonnes. The estate primarily grows Arabica varieties including SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, K7, and Acaia.

The farm emphasises eco-friendly practices, including recycling water from wet mills and using cherry husks for organic compost manure. Approximately 47% of its land is maintained under natural flora cover to support biodiversity. Historically linked to Catholic Missionaries and later colonial settlers, the estate now focuses on supporting its workforce through provided housing and training in effective communication and labour relations.

THE PROCESS

The Washed process at EAAGADS Estate involves:

• 🍒 Hand-picking — Only the ripest red cherries are selected at each pass through the estate
• ✅ Sorting — Incoming cherries are sorted to remove damaged, unripe, or low-density fruit
• 🔧 Pulping — Cherries are pulped on the day of picking to remove the fruit skin
• 🧪 Fermentation — Parchment is fermented to loosen remaining mucilage
• 💧 Washing — Thoroughly washed with clean water to remove all fermentation residue
• ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Coffee dries on raised African beds until moisture stabilises

This traditional Washed method, applied with EAAGADS's characteristic attention to cherry selection and consistency, produces a cup that is at once clean and richly expressive of the estate's terroir.

THE CUP

A juicy, sweet Kenyan Washed with a darker, more luscious fruit profile than the estate's peaberry lots. Dried cranberry and redcurrant provide vivid berry depth, with plum juice adding body and a long cane sugar sweetness that rounds out the finish.

Flavour Notes

• 🍒 Dried Cranberry
• ❤️ Redcurrant
• 🍑 Plum Juice
• 🍬 Cane Sugar