About This Coffee
Danson Wanyutu Karugondo inherited Dagitu Estate from his father, who had planted the first coffee trees on the land in 1954. Danson combined his own name and those of his two sons to rechristen the farm Dagitu Estate.
Today, more than 20 years after inheriting and naming Dagitu Estate, Danson still handpicks and processes all his coffee independently. Dry milling lots from small estates like Dagitu has historically been very difficult, but Danson has persevered. Today, he works with Sucafina Kenya to help maintain complete traceability on his single-farm lots.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
After selective handpicking, cherry is processed on the estate. First, cherry is pulped on a disc pulper. Then, it is fermented for 16 to 24 and, after being washed, is soaked in fresh water for 24 hours. Parchment is dried on raised beds to 18 to 24 days. Dried parchment is milled at Sucafina Kenya’s dry mill, Kahawa Bora.
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.
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.