Kenya Gatuya AA

Kenya Gatuya AA

Kenya Gatuya AA is a washed specialty coffee from the Gatuya washing station in Muranga County, Kenya. It grows between 1,700 and 1,900 metres and holds three varieties: SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11. In Haimoo's roast profile the cup shows tropical fruit, red grape and toffee.

The lot is a microlot of size grade AA. Its origin is known down to the washing station.

Who produces Kenya Gatuya AA coffee?

Gatuya is not a farm but a washing station, known in Kenya as a factory. It is one of the two washing stations run by the New Murarandia cooperative, which has around 3,500 smallholder members.

Each farmer works a small piece of land, about a fifth to a third of a hectare. They bring the cherries they pick to Gatuya for processing.

At the washing station one day's cherries are combined into day lots. A microlot is a small lot chosen from these for its quality, fewer than a hundred bags in size.

Where does Kenya Gatuya AA grow?

Muranga lies on the slopes of the Aberdare Mountains. The soil is rich and red, and the climate is cooler than in most of Kenya. Valleys and streams run through the landscape.

The area lives off farming: four in five residents depend on it, and most coffee farmers have less than a hectare of land. Gatuya's coffee grows between 1,700 and 1,900 metres, and the crop is picked between October and December.

Which varieties are in Kenya Gatuya AA?

The lot holds three varieties grown in Kenya: SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11. Because the farmers' cherries are combined at the washing station, the lot cannot be named after a single variety.

What does AA mean?

AA is a size grade for Kenyan coffee. The beans are sorted by size, and the large ones go into the AA grade.

How is coffee washed in Kenya?

A soaking step is typical of the Kenyan washed process. Cherries picked ripe are pulped that same day, and the beans usually ferment in open concrete tanks for 24 to 48 hours.

The coffee is then washed thoroughly in water channels and left to soak under water for 12 to 72 hours. Finally it is dried on raised beds.

The washed process brings out the character of the varieties and the place where they grow.

What does Kenya Gatuya AA taste like?

Kenya Gatuya AA is a classic Kenyan coffee: bright and crisp.

Tropical fruit is the first thing you taste in the cup.

A berry-like acidity lingers in the mouth, and the sweetness is reminiscent of toffee or syrup.

Gatuya is for those who like bright, fruity and berry-like coffees.

How should you brew Kenya Gatuya AA?

The roaster recommends Kenya Gatuya AA as filter coffee. It works just as well brewed by hand with a Hario V60 as in an ordinary coffee maker, and as filter coffee it shows tropical fruit and a berry-like acidity.

If you like an intense, light roast espresso, Gatuya works excellently there too.