Kenya: Ngugu Ini

Sensory profile: Apricot, Blackcurrant, Grapefruit, Honey, Rhubarb

Varieties: SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru 11, Batian

Process: Washed

Year: 2023

Complex, vibrant acidity supported by a candy-like sweetness.

Excellent coffee, balanced and juicy.

Region: Kirinyaga

Altitude: 1600m

Company: Kibirigwi Farmer Cooperative Society

Ngugu-Ini Factor

The Ngugu-ini washing station, built in 1958 and owned by the Kibirigwi Cooperative Society, is located at 1,600 m altitude with a mild climate (12-24°C) and red volcanic soil that favors the production of high quality coffee.

The company, the second largest in the county with eight car washes and 7,200 members, adheres to rigorous quality practices under the supervision of director Simon Peter Mathenge.

They harvest the coffee by hand, select it and depulp it with a disc machine. The members of the Ngugu-ini Factory participate in agronomic activities, receiving technical assistance through training programs.

The station has long-term goals to improve production, education and sustainable processes. It also maintains a demonstration plot for farmers.

The coffee cherries, delivered on the same day of harvest to the washing station, are carefully selected under the supervision of a “cherry clerk”, who removes unripe and damaged cherries.

They weigh and digitally record the ripe cherries.

Next, they place the coffee in a receiving tank and pulp it with a four-disc pulper, which removes the skin and pulp from the inner parchment layer that protects the green coffee bean.

After pulping, they select the coffee by weight using water: the higher quality, denser beans are separated from the lighter, lower quality ones.

They dry ferment the coffee for 20-24 hours to break down the sugars and remove the mucilage (the sticky coating of the fruit) from the beans.

During fermentation, they periodically check the coffee and, once ready, they rinse the coffee and place it in a washing channel.

They wash the parchment-covered coffee with fresh water and send it through water channels for further selection by weight.

They consider the heavier, sinking, higher quality, sweeter coffee, while removing the lower density beans.

They send the beans to soaking tanks where they remain under water for another 48 hours.

This process increases proteins and amino acids, improving acidity complexity.

After soaking, they pump the coffee onto deep drying beds where it drains for 1-2 hours before transferring it to raised drying tables, also known as African beds.

During drying, they constantly turn the parchment to ensure even drying and to identify and remove any defective grains.

The time on the African beds depends on the climate, ambient temperature and processing volume, ranging from one to three weeks to reach the target humidity of 11-12%.

After drying, they move the coffee to conditioning beds where it rests in parchment for about a month.

This resting period helps stabilize the water activity and contributes to lasting quality and liveliness in the cup.

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