Summer is nearly over, and we’re nearing the end of the arrival season for coffee from Central America. With that in mind, we’re turning our focus to Kenya this month. With a variety of excellent coffees on the water now, there’s plenty to talk about!
Scenes from our trip to Kenya earlier this year
Kenyan Coffees Landing Soon!
If you asked a room full of coffee roasters to list their favorite coffee origins, it’s likely that a high percentage of them would have Kenya at or near the top. The country’s soil chemistry, high altitude, favorable climate, and unique processing methods combine to produce vibrant coffees with an unmistakable flavor profile.
We share that enthusiasm for Kenyan coffee, and we’re excited to have a selection of fresh lots landing soon. From floral, complex AA lots to punchy, juicy Peaberries and everything in between, there’s something everyone can enjoy. Here’s a little bit of information about a couple of our favorites.
Gakuyuini AA
The Gakuyu-ini factory is located in Kirinyaga county, in the foothills of Mount Kenya. The mill is operated by the Thirikwa Farmers' Cooperative Society, which is comprised of about 1550 members, 670 of whom are female farmers. This coffee is a longtime favorite of many of our customers thanks to its exceptional quality and notes of apricot, peach, and white tea.
Kigutha AB
This is a single-estate coffee from the Kigutha Estate in Kiambu county. The 99-hectare farm sits at 1700 meters above sea level and grows primarily the SL-28 and SL-34 varieties. They also operate their own wet mill, giving them full control of the quality from the seed all the way up until the coffee has finished drying on the raised beds. The result is a really nice, fruit-forward cup with notes of lemon, cherry, and blackcurrant.
These coffees and many others will be here soon and are available for pre-booking now — for a full list of offerings and pricing information, contact your salesperson or reach out via the form here.
A Catuai plant at Rio Negro, densely packed with ripening coffee cherries
This Month in Costa Rica
The first pickings of the 24/25 crop will begin soon in Coto Brus, where the harvest starts earlier due to the lower altitude and warmer climate.
As we prepare for the start of the harvest season at Rio Negro, our team there has been hard at work adding compost, managing weeds, tending to newly-transplanted seedlings, and supporting the farm in general. As a result, the plants are looking green, healthy, and full of fruit!
A sloth, spotted in the shade trees at La Minita
At La Minita, we had a rare sighting this month — a sloth! Costa Rica is known for its population of sloths, and our clients often ask about them when visiting the farm. They’re uncommon in Los Santos, as they tend to prefer the dense rainforests found elsewhere in the country. But one does pop up on occasion — this one was spotted climbing around the shade trees in the Gladiola lot.
Recent Arrivals
COSTA RICA, HACIENDA LA MINITA FINCA MELICO VILLA SARCHI
This 100% Villa Sarchi microlot comes from Finca Melico, the highest-elevation lot at La Minita. It’s become one of our most-anticipated offerings each year due to its incredible sweetness and balance.
Availability: CTI NJ
Certifications: Rainforest Alliance
Cupping notes: Fresh cherry, brown sugar, sweet
COSTA RICA, KENNIA PROCESS CATURRA-CATUAI
Microlots from our mills in Costa Rica have arrived! This is a new process for this year — our mill manager, Emiliano Castro, developed a version of the double-washing process common in Kenya, while adding a period of Anaerobic fermentation in tanks.
Availability: CTI NJ
Certifications: N/A
Cupping notes: Champagne, mixed berry, complex
Roast Summit is around the corner!
La Minita is a proud supporter of Roast Summit, a two-day gathering for coffee professionals featuring workshops, discussions, and networking opportunities. The next edition will be held in Schaumburg, IL on October 24th and 25th — for more information, visit the Roast Summit website.
That’s all for this month’s edition. Thanks for reading, and as always, if there’s anything we can do for you, reach out to your salesperson or fill out our contact form and we’ll get right back to you. See you next month!