Karimikui
Origin: Kenya
Region: Kirinyaga
Altitude: 1650 masl
Harvest: 2018
Varietal: SL-34, SL-28
Process: Fully washed
Tasting notes: Rose hip fruits juice, rose jam and soothing white honey, lingering tangerine finish.
Cupping score: 87.5 on the arrival
The story: The Karimikui Coffee Factory was established in 1966 and rests on a 6 acres piece of land serving the villages of Githureia, Gituba and Kiamugumo. Currently it is affiliated to Rungeto Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS), in an area where most smallholder farmers are growing tea, not coffee. The rich, red volcanic soil is ideal for coffee growing, with a temperature year round ranging between 13C to 24C. Two periods of rain is observed – the long rains between March and May and the short rains between October and December. Farmers here are mainly growing SL28 and SL34, accounting for 99% of total production, while we see some occasional Ruiru 11 plants.
Cherries are hand sorted for unripes and overripes by the farmers before they go in to production. A disc pulping machine removes the skin and pulp. The coffees are graded by density in to 3 grades by the pulper. Grade 1 and 2 go separately to fermentation. Grade 3 is considered low grade. The coffee is fermented for 16-24 hours under closed shade. After fermentation the coffees are washed and again graded by density in washing channels and are then soaked under clean water from the Gatomboya stream for 16-18 hours. Then beans are Sun dried up to 21 days on African drying beds. Coffees are covered in plastic during midday and at night.
Pictures: Ria Neri &Collaborative Coffee Source
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