About This Coffee
Gichuna Estate is a family-run farm in Kenya’s Kiambu region. David Mburu Mwangi inherited the farm from his mother, Peninah Warura Mwangi. This AA microlot, composed of 100% SL28, reflects a deep, generational passion for Kenyan coffee and the enduring legacy of the Mwangi family.
Complex, vibrant and beautifully structured, this Fully washed microlot is bursting with passionfruit, blood orange and raspberry notes. All combined with a juicy medium body and bright acidity.
Cultivation
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.
Kiambu County is also known as the largest dairy-producing county in Kenya. Many coffee growers in the region are adhering to organic fertilizing practices, using cow manure instead of agrochemicals on their coffee trees.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Ripe cherries are handpicked and carefully sorted before being pulped. After going through the pulping process, coffee is fermented for 12 to 24 hours. The parchment is then washed using clean water to completely remove the remaining mucilage before being soaked for an additional 24 hours. This soaking stage was initially developed as a means of ‘holding coffee steady’ during peak season when space on drying beds was limited. The practice has, in more recent years, been shown to potentially give a quality boost, contributing to cup clarity and longevity.
After soaking, parchment is delivered to sundry on raised beds, typically from 15 to 21 days. During the drying process, parchment is turned regularly to ensure even drying. Once the drying is completed, the parchment is bagged, milled and ready to export.
AA Grade
Kenyan coffees are classified by size. AA beans are the largest size. AA grade coffees are those that are 17/18 screen size, meaning that they are larger than 7.2 millimeters.
About Kiambu
Kiambu is right outside Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi but is nonetheless known for agriculture – specifically coffee and tea. The county is also home of the Kenyan Coffee Research Foundation.
Kiambu County is also well known for its dairy production, and is the largest dairy producing county in Kenya. Many of the growers here adhere to organic fertilizing practices, using only cow manure instead of agrochemicals on their coffee trees.
Farmers in Kiambu face low production due to pests and disease while simultaneously having to pay high prices for inputs. In recent years, many have felt the strain and have sold their land to real-estate developers looking to build on the edge of Nairobi.
About SL28 & SL34
SL28 and SL34 were just 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 due 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.
While SL varieties are still highly sought after today, they’ve become less widely cultivated in Kenya due to their relatively low resistance to coffee leaf rust (CLR). Compared to more recent varieties, SL varieties are more susceptible to diseases and pests and require very specific altitudes and climates to flourish. However, that hasn’t stopped specialty-focused farmers, who, inspired by the flavors and popularity of SL varieties, have have spread the cultivation of SL varieties worldwide.
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.