About This Coffee
Kaguyu Factory is owned and operated by Inoi Farmer Cooperative Society (FCS), which was registered in 1954. The FCS originally managed 11 wet mills, but due to declining production, some were merged, leaving six currently operational: Kaguyu, Thaita, Kiandieri, Kerugoya, Ndimi and Karia. Inoi FCS is overseen by a nine-member management board elected from different zones within its area of operation.
Grown at elevations of 1,650 to 1,750 meters above sea level, farmers in the region benefit from fertile red volcanic soils and cool highland conditions that create an ideal environment for coffee cultivation. Additionally, meticulous processing preserves the character of the terroir’s beauty. For this coffee, expect a sweet, bright cup with a lingering finish of stone fruit notes.
Cultivation
Farmers delivering to Kaguyu cultivate primarily SL28, SL34, Batian, and Ruiru 11 in small coffee gardens that are, on average, smaller than 1 hectare. 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. They both start yielding fruit after just 2 years.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Smallholders selectively handpick only ripe cherries and deliver them to Kaguyu Factory. At intake, the Cherry Clerk oversees meticulous sorting, accepting only dense, ripe cherries. Selected cherries are pulped and fermented for approximately 16 to 24 hours. Following fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water and soaked for an additional 24 hours.
This step of soaking was once very particular to Kenya coffee production, though in more recent years it’s become used in other specialty productions. Coffee is held under water, preserving its quality and limiting exposure to adulterants, while it awaits space on drying tables (historically during the peak harvest season). Recent research has shown that the step also has added benefit to the coffee’s final quality and longevity, adding clarity to the cup.
After soaking, parchment is laid to dry on raised beds or in solar driers (covered greenhouses). Throughout this stage, workers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. The parchment is covered with tarps during the hottest hours of the day to protect it from direct sunlight and again at night to shield it from moisture. Depending on the weather, drying typically takes 14 to 21 days.
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 Ruiru 11
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
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.