About This Coffee
ANFDB Kibendo grows primarily SL28, SL34 and Batian varieties. This particular lot is composed of the largest, heaviest AA beans. Slight variations in climatic conditions and an extended growing period have influenced this lot's unique flavor profile, setting it apart from earlier harvests from the same farm.
Cultivation
Coffee is cultivated at 1,930 meters above sea level in the Rift Valley’s fertile volcanic soils mixed with red clay. ANFDB Kibendo benefits from the warm climate and ample rainfall (between 1,600 and 2,000 mm annually) that characterize the region and create ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. These environmental factors, combined with careful farming practices, contribute enhanced cherry development and better-quality coffee.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
This lot has been processed using the natural method. Handpicked cherries are carefully laid out on perforated tables to sun-dry and are turned regularly, ensuring even exposure. Once dried, the coffee is stored in silos for additional resting. Before export, the parchment is removed during hulling, leaving behind clean, quality coffee beans. The meticulous post-harvest care ensures the beans maintain their distinctive characteristics and exceptional quality.
About SL28 & SL34
SL28 and SL34 were two of the cultivars released by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (SAL) during the height of SAL’s research in Kenya in the 1930s and 1940s. They soon became the cultivars of choice for most growers thanks to their deep root structure that allows them to maximize scarce water resources and flourish even without irrigation. SL varieties also had higher yields than the French Bourbon rootstock that they replaced and were known to be somewhat more disease resistant.
About Batian
Developed by Kenya's Coffee Research Institute in 2010, Batian is named after the highest peak on Mt. Kenya and is resistant to both coffee berry disease (CBD) and coffee leaf rust (CLR). The variety has the added benefit of early maturity – cropping after only two years. Some challenges (such as vegetative structure) have prevented it from becoming widespread so far, but its popularity is certainly growing.
Coffee in Kenya
Though coffee growing had a relatively late start in Kenya, the industry has gained and maintained a impressive reputation. Since the start of production, Kenyan coffee has been recognized for its high-quality, meticulous preparation and exquisite flavors. Our in-country sister company, Sucafina Kenya, works with farmers across the country to ensure these exceptional coffees gain the accolades they deserve.
Today, more than 600,000 smallholders farming fewer than 5 acres compose 99% of the coffee farming population of Kenya. Their farms cover more than 75% of total coffee growing land and produce nearly 70% of the country’s coffee. These farmers are organized into hundreds of Farmer Cooperative Societies (FCS), all of which operate at least one factory. The remainder of annual production is grown and processed by small, medium and large land estates. Most of the larger estates have their own washing stations.
Most Kenyan coffees are fully washed and dried on raised beds. The country still upholds its reputation for high quality and attention to detail at its many washing stations. The best factories employ stringent sorting practices at cherry intake, and many of them have had the same management staff in place for years.