Nainyoire Estate AA

Established in 2023 by farmers in Fort Ternan, Kericho County, Nainyoire Estate is currently working with around 150 smallholder farmers who deliver freshly picked cherries for processing and marketing. The estate is located in Kenya’s Rift Valley, an area that is increasingly building a reputation for specialty coffee.  

Cultivated and processed with an eye toward excellence, this Fully washed AA lot offers a sweet, juicy and layered cup, characterized by plum and caramel notes.  

Although arguably less well-known than some historically famous coffee-growing regions, Kenya’s Rift Valley is increasingly at the forefront of coffee farming. The climate and high altitudes are ideal for high-quality production. The region’s fertile volcanic soils mixed with red clay lend themselves well to growing some of the country’s most famous varieties.  

Coffee is typically cultivated at elevations of 1,600 to 1,800 meters above sea level on these fertile volcanic soils. Most farmers manage small plots averaging 550 coffee trees, consisting of SL28, SL34, and a small quantity of Ruiru 11, Batian, K7 and Blue Mountain varieties. Consistent rainfall, cool mountain temperatures and traditional cultivation methods contribute to slow cherry development, producing beans with distinctive quality. 

Ripe cherries are selectively handpicked by smallholder farmers and delivered to Nainyoire Estate for processing. At intake, the cherries are carefully sorted to ensure optimal quality before pulping. Selected cherries are then pulped and fermented from 12 to 24 hours, depending on the weather. The parchment is then washed before being soaked in water 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 delivered to dry on raised beds, where it will be laid in thin layer and turned regularly 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 15 to 21 days.  

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. 

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

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. 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.

K7 is found mostly in Kenya and Tanzania and is known for its resistance to Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) and Coffee Berry Disease (CBD). The variety also has high yields and good cup potential at high altitudes. The plant is recognizable by its branch’s widespread.

K7 was selected from seedlings on Legetet Estate in Muhorohi, an estate owned by a man named R.H. Walker. In Kenya, K7 is less common in high-altitude areas, but it remains a popular choice in some lower-altitude regions due to its slight resistance to CLR.

Blue Mountain is a Typica mutation that was first found and cultivated in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. The variety is also widely cultivated in Hawaii, on Kona Island, where it is typically called “Guatemala.” The variety was also introduced to East Africa in 1894 through Malawi and Rwanda and to West Kenya in 1913. Today it is mainly grown in Hawaii, Jamaica, West Kenya, Rwanda and PNG. Like its Typica ancestor, Blue Mountain does well at high altitudes. It’s also resistant to Coffee Berry Disease (CBD)

Kenya's Rift Valley has emerged as a growing hub for coffee production, particularly towards the western regions. While historically secondary to central highlands around Mount Kenya (think Kiambu, Muranga, Nyeri, etc), farmers in the region now contribute significantly to national output. 

Early coffee production in Kenya was focused on the Central regions, but Rift Valley regions such as Kericho, Nandi, Bomet and Trans-Nzoia began expanding in the mid-20th century after Kenya achieved independence in 1963. At this point, land ownership was shifted to smallholders via the Swynnerton Plan (1950s), transforming Kericho's coffee into cooperative-driven small farm production. Farmers in the region at that point began diversifying from the traditional maize and tea production, and they were encouraged by a burgeoning cooperative structure within the country alongside ideal coffee growing conditions.   

Kericho's coffee sector is experiencing new attention – something of a revival – with production increasing due to government support and diversification from tea amid favorable prices and soils. Today, Kericho ranks among Rift Valley producing areas (with Nakuru, Nandi), focusing on sustainable agroforestry.