• SEY Coffee - Mbature Family Field Blend Washed | Kenya

SEY Coffee - Mbature Family Field Blend Washed | Kenya

£21.95
Size
Roast Date
Description

Tastes Like — 🍵 Rooibos • 🍈 Candied Grapefruit • 🫐 Blackcurrant

DETAILS

  • Producer: Mbature Family
  • Farm: Kamavindi Estate
  • Region: Embu, Kenya
  • Varietal: Field Blend* (believed to be SL28, Mocha, SL34)
  • Process: Washed
  • Altitude: 1,680 masl
  • Harvest: September 2025

INTRO The first microlot of the season from Kamavindi — one of SEY's main collaborators in Kenya, and the centre of their ongoing exploration of Kenyan varieties and nano lot separations. Rooibos structure runs throughout, layered with candied grapefruit and blackcurrant. In the cup: rooibos, candied grapefruit, and blackcurrant.

THE PRODUCER Kamavindi was founded in 1958 by the late John Njiru Mbature during British colonial rule. Originally a 20-hectare farm, it began with just 100 coffee trees — the legal limit for native Africans at the time. When restrictions lifted in 1961, John planted an additional 500 trees, and the farm eventually grew to 10,000 trees, split between SL28 and Ruiru 11. Today it's managed by Peter Mbature, his mother Hellen Weveti, and his sister Gladwell Wanjira, who are transitioning the farm to a full SL28 planting and establishing a training centre to educate farmers and buyers on processing and farm management.

THE PROCESS Cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness, hand-sorted and floated to remove defects, then de-pulped the same day and mixed for uniform distribution. The coffee dry-ferments for 18-20 hours in darkness, is washed and turned repeatedly until the water runs clean, then dry-ferments for another 24 hours. A second wash follows, with channel floating to sort by density and remove remaining defects, before drying on raised beds under shade nets to 16% moisture, then finishing on upper beds to around 10.5%.

The double dry-fermentation cycle, separated by thorough washing, is the defining step — it's what builds the clean rooibos structure and layered grapefruit-blackcurrant brightness that define this cup.

THE CUP Structured and bright — rooibos running throughout, with candied grapefruit and blackcurrant layered on top. A promising first look at this season's Kamavindi microlot, with the exact varietal makeup still being confirmed through ongoing genetic research.

Flavour Notes 🍵 Rooibos 🍈 Candied Grapefruit 🫐 Blackcurrant