Kenya — Karimikui Factory SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian "Lemonade Stand" (Washed AB)

Tastes Like — 🥤 Sparkling Lemonade • 🍋 Yuzu • 🌿 Rhubarb • 🍑 Peach

DETAILS

• Producer: Karimikui Factory (~600 smallholder farmers)

• Farm: Rungeto Farmers Co-operative Society

• Region: Kirinyaga County, Kenya

• Varietal: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian

• Process: Washed (AB)

• Altitude: 1600–1750 MASL

• Roast: Light

• Release: No. 10, August 2026

• Size: 200g / 1kg

INTRO

Set up the stand, pour the good stuff. This washed AB from the Karimikui Factory in Kirinyaga opens with the lively sweetness of sparkling lemonade over fresh yuzu, a crisp rhubarb edge bringing the zing, and soft peach rounding it all out.

THE PRODUCER

Established in 1997, the Karimikui Factory is operated by the Rungeto Farmers Co-operative Society in Kirinyaga County. Named after a local tree species, the factory works with approximately 600 smallholder farmers cultivating coffee across the fertile red volcanic slopes of Mount Kenya.

Farmers throughout the Ngariama area grow coffee alongside bananas, maize, Macadamia and Grevillea trees, creating diverse and balanced growing environments. At elevations between 1600 and 1750 metres, the region's cool temperatures and steady rainfall encourage slow cherry maturation and exceptional cup clarity.

THE PROCESS

The Washed (AB) process at Karimikui Factory involves:

• 🍒 Hand-Picking — Ripe cherries picked by approximately 600 smallholder farmers

• 🔧 De-Pulping — Mechanical removal of skin and mucilage

• 💧 Fermentation — Traditional wet fermentation

• 🚿 Washing — Thorough washing in clean water

• ☀️ Drying — Slow cherry maturation and drying encouraged by the region's cool temperatures

This traditional washed process, combined with the cool, steady climate of Kirinyaga's volcanic slopes, creates the exceptional cup clarity that defines this AB lot.

THE CUP

Lemonade Stand opens with the lively sweetness of sparkling lemonade before fresh yuzu brings a crisp citrus edge. Juicy rhubarb adds a vibrant tang, whilst soft peach rounds out the cup with delicate fruit sweetness. Refreshing, clean and effortlessly vibrant—lively from the first sip to the last.

Flavour Notes

• 🥤 Sparkling Lemonade

• 🍋 Yuzu

• 🌿 Rhubarb

• 🍑 Peach