Kamwangi Peaberry Kenya

Notes:  Turkish Apricot | Blackcurrant Jam | Heavy Body

Region: Kirinyaga, Kenya

Elevation:  1100-1800 MASL

Varietals:  SL28 & SL34

Process: Washed

Roast: Medium

The Coffee: 

Trust us when we say this is a special bean. This peaberry may be the perfect expression of a Kenyan coffee. We get striking sweetness like a Turkish apricot, blackcurrant goodness, hints of date syrup and a heavy body that ties it together perfectly.  This excels as an immersion or filter format and when properly rested up to 10 days off roast it will also pulling delicious jammy espresso shots. 

The Producer: 

Kamwangi coffee factory is located in the northeastern corner of Kirinyaga County, Nyangeni subregion, Ngariama community. It was established in 1983 and grows the SL28, SL34 varieties with small amounts of Batian and Ruiru 11. The coffee cherries are hand-sorted for unripes and overripes by the farmers before they go into processing. The pulp is removed and the coffee is fermented for 24-36 hours in fermentation tanks under close shade depending on climate.

After fermentation, coffees are washed and graded by density in washing channels. The water used in this process comes from the Nyamindi river. The coffee is then taken to the drying tables where they will be sundried 12 to 20 days on African drying beds, again depending on climate. Coffees are covered in plastic during midday and at night to protect them from the most polar extremes of climate. 

Kamwangi washing station is located in the buffer zone surrounding Mount Kenya National Park. Mount Kenya is also an extinct volcano and the second highest snow-capped peak in Africa (5,199 masl), after Kilimanjaro. The presence of this snowy mountain in Kirinyaga (the name of which actually means “White Mountain” in the native Kekuyu language) plays a fundamental role for the population and coffee of the surrounding areas. Its glaciers form the Sagana, Thiba, Nyamindi, Rupinzagi, Rwamuthambi and Ragat rivers. These glacier-fed rivers also help cool the surrounding areas, giving the farms in the county an annual temperature between 13 and 25 C—privileged temperatures compared to other coffee-growing areas in Africa.

Farms in this region are surrounded by forests of native trees where wild animals such as elephants and buffalos live. Local coffee producers use fences strategically along their farm perimeters to protect their crops and minimize contact with potentially dangerous fauna. The Kenyan government has prohibited logging and hunting in the area and producers are very respectful of these rules. The predominant population of Ngariama community are the Kikuyu, the oldest native population in the area. Everyone in the area also speaks Kikuyu.