Gichathaini

Welcoming GICHATHAINI, a mix of 1600-1900masl fully washed process SL28, SL34 & ruiru 11 varietals grown by Gikanda Farmers Cooperative Society in Nyeri, Kenya.

Expect to taste: black currant, cola, plum, grape, dark chocolate, vanilla sponge cake & granny smith apple.

TL;DR: Yet another stunningly clean and bright coffee from Kenya. Juicy and sweet, this one will definitely hit the spot on a cold day!

The Gichathaini factory is one of three washing stations that comprise the Gikanda Farmers Cooperative Society (F.C.S.), which is in the Mathira West district of Nyeri.

The factory itself is owned by the farmers - there are about 1,045 registered members and 770 active members who utilize the mill and subsequently are able to make elective decisions regarding factory representation and management. The factory is located about 6 kilometers from Karatina town, and the conditions in the area are typically ideal for coffee: abundant rainfall, reliable average temperatures, fertile soil, and fresh water from the Ragati river.

Coffee is picked and delivered ripe to the factory, where it is sorted before being depulped the same day as delivery. It is fermented overnight, washed using clean Ragati river water, and then moved to the drying beds. The water used in the washing process is recirculated for conservation purposes, and moved to soak pits away from the fresh-water sources to prevent contamination.

We hit this coffee hard and fast in the roaster! Lots of early heat to make sure it was developed and easy to extract, and then a gentle and short finish to maintain the bright and crisp acid and fruit we love from Kenyan coffees.

We start with the same recipe for all of our espresso coffees:

From here we will tweak things to get the flavours to highlight things we like. Use this as your starting point and go wild!

Note: some domestic espresso machines can’t use a 20g dose. Please always follow your manufacturers instructions to avoid damaging your equipment.