About This Coffee
Grace Njoki Njage has managed Kamvara Estate since 2009, when her husband, who had previously co-run the estate with her, passed away. At 1,650 to 1,750 meters above sea level, Kamvara Estate is in an ideal location for producing delicious specialty coffee with sweet, dense cherry.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Kamvara Estate is well-outfitted with a pulper and several fermentation tanks and washing channels. After selectively handpicking, cherry is pulped on a disc pulper. Coffee is dry fermented for 16 to 24 hours and, after being washed, soaked in clean water for a further 24 hours. Wet parchment is dried on raised beds for 2 to 3 weeks.
The 'C' Stigma
Letter grades on Kenyan coffees refer to bean size, not coffee quality. So why do C lots tend to score lower? Enter the ‘C Stigma.’
The ‘C Stigma’ itself actually contributes to lower quality C lots. Because we expect lower quality, C grades are usually sold for lower prices. Due to low prices, resources and time are rarely spent to prep C lots as thoroughly as higher grades. Thus, by expecting less of C lots and by paying lower prices for them we are contributing to the circumstances that make C lots lower quality than AA and AB.
The ‘C Stigma’ is hurting everyone. Quality-focused farmers like the ones we work with are often unable to sell their C lots at value-added prices, even though they have the potential to be of high cup quality. C lots can compose up to 17% of any 100-bag lot. Because of this, we’re missing out on affordable, high-quality coffees.
The only way to break the cycle is to start placing more value on C lots. If we pay a bit more for C lots and emphasize better prep, we’ll make it possible and desirable for farmers to invest the time and money in prepping C lots the same way they prep their AA and AB lots.
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.