Rurima AA

Origin

Kenya

Region

Embu, Central Kenya

Producer

Lucy Wanja Ndogo & family, Rurima Estate

Altitude

1,720–1,800 m

Varietal

SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11

Process

Washed

Grade

AA — screen 18 and above

Filter

Size

250g

Importer

Melbourne Coffee Merchants

A washed AA lot from Rurima Estate, a family-run 15-hectare farm and wet mill in the foothills of Mt. Kenya, Embu County. Sitting at 1,720–1,800m on the region's rich red volcanic soil, the estate is managed by a collective of siblings led by Lucy Wanja Ndogo, each tending their own plot and delivering cherry to the shared factory. The estate was established in 2008 by Lucy's father and named after his own father, Rurima — meaning hill, or mountain.

Cherries are handpicked at peak ripeness, dry-fermented for 12–24 hours, washed in fresh Kapingazi river water, then dried on raised tables for up to three weeks. AA is the largest screen grade Kenya produces, and it shows in the cup: structured, transparent, and floral.