Gathaithi AB

Located in Nyeri County, Gathaithi Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS) was established in 1967 under the then-larger Tetu FCS. In 2000, it was registered independently, named after the nearby Gathaithi village. Today, the FCS operates one wet mill (factory) and works with more than 2,000 registered members, of whom around 1,300 are active farmers. Together, they manage approximately 230,000 coffee trees, producing an average of 870 tons of cherries annually.

Thanks to optimal weather conditions and careful processing, this Fully washed lot stands out with a distinctive flavor profile. For this coffee, expect a clean, complex flavor profile with lively acidity and delicate sweetness.  

Farmers delivering to Gathaithi FCS cultivate SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11 and Batian in small coffee gardens that are, on average, smaller than 1 hectare. In fact, farms are usually measured by the number of trees rather than in area. The ‘SL’ varieties are cultivars originally released by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (SAL) in the 1930s and 1940s. They soon became the go-to trees for many growers in Kenya due to their deep root structure, which allows them to maximize scarce water resources and flourish even without irrigation. They are cultivated with a serious eye to sustainability and Good Agricultural Practices, with minimal environmental impact where possible. Ruiru 11 and Batian are newer varieties known for their disease resistance and high yields, as they start yielding fruit after just 2 years. 

Smallholders selectively handpick only ripe cherries and deliver them to the Gathaithi factory. At intake, cherries are sorted to remove any underripe or damaged cherries and then pulped within the same day of delivery to ensure the highest quality. Pulped cherries are then fermented for around 16 to 24 hours.  

Following fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water and soaked for 24 hours. This soaking stage is a traditional way to structure post-harvest processing during peak season, when there will be limited space available on drying beds. However, it has been posited that additional benefits derive from the soaking process, such as clarity in the cup and overall longevity of green coffee.  

After soaking, the parchment is then laid to dry on raised beds or solar driers (covered greenhouses). During the drying process, workers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. Parchment is covered with a tarp during the hottest time of day, to maintain slow, even drying and at night, to shelter parchment from moisture. It takes approximately 14 to 21 days for parchment to dry. Once the drying is completed, parchment is bagged, milled and ready to export. 

Ruiru 11, a hybrid of Catimor and SL cultivars, is both Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) and Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) resistant. Plus, it can be planted at a much higher density than the SL varieties, making optimal use of small plots of land.

Ruiru 11 has slowly ‘taken root’ across most of Kenya’s coffee growing landscape. The only issues were that with a shallower root structure, many farmers found the plant less hardy in drought conditions, and the trees required a more intense feeding program. Over time, farmers have found that by grafting Ruiru-11 to SL varieties they could take advantage of SL trees’ expansive root system and still reap the increased yields and higher immunity to disease of Ruiru-11.

Due to the grafted Ruiru-11’s growing popularity, most farms in Kenya today, both big and small, have a mixture of Ruiru-11 and SL varieties. As SL trees age, many farmers are opting to turn more towards Ruiru-11 (or the grafting solution) thanks to its ease of use and higher resistance to diseases.

Source: https://varieties.worldcoffeeresearch.org/varieties/ruiru-11 & https://sucafina.com/na/news/think-you-know-kenya-coffee-varieties-think-again

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. 

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.

Kenyan coffees are classified by size. AB beans are those that are between screen size 15 and 18 meaning that beans are between 6 and 7 millimeters in size. 

Nyeri County is one Kenya's most famous growing regions. 

The name Nyeri is derived from the Masaai word nyiro, meaning red, after the red volcanic soil in the area. The name was adapted by white settler farmers to Nyeri. Most farmers in the area today grow tea and coffee as cash crops. Coffee varieties in the region are usually a mix between SL 28, SL 34 (roughly 80%)  Batian and Ruiri 11.