Kenya
Kaguyu

Flavour: winey, raspberry, toffee apple

Body: Acidity:

This coffee comes to you from Kenya’s Kirinyaga county. You might have noticed that we usually share the names of the producer of the coffee you’re drinking, but as with almost all coffee from Kenya this one is only traceable to the factory, or mill level.

Most Kenyan farmers own between 1/8 to ¼ of a hectare, and often grow coffee alongside other crops, which means they rely on a central processing service to handle the sale and processing of their coffee.

Producers deliver coffee cherry to a factory, where the cooperative will sort, weigh, and issue payment for the delivery. The coffee is then blended with the rest of the day’s deliveries and goes on to be processed.

Because of this system, serving from hundreds to several thousands of smallholder farmers per factory, there is limited traceability down to the individual producers whose coffee comprises the lots.

Kaguyu Factory is located near Kerugoya town in the Ndia division of Kirinyaga county in Kenya. The factory services around 850 members, growing an average of 200 trees on each farm.

They’re growing most common varieties match those most typical in Kenya: SL-28, SL-34, and Ruiru 11.

The farms in this area have red volcanic soil, and the producers also grow tea, bananas, and corn on their plots, under shade provided by macadamia, eucalyptus, and gravellea trees.

Coffee crops are picked ripe and brought to the factory for depulping, washing, and soaking; farmers receive training every year from the factory manager, and “field days” hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and agrochemical companies. The factory’s water comes from the Rutui river, and there are soaking pits for recycling the water.

Read more about the intricacies of Kenyan coffees at Cafe Import’s Harvest Report: Kenya 2020 – Complicated Is Beautiful.

Learn everything about this coffee:

Ethical, traceable sourcing

This page has all the sourcing information (variety, process, region, story, importer, and more) that our importers share with us, and give us permission to use.

The transparency helps us talk confidently about the quality and background of our product, and it helps you know exactly what you’re buying.

Learn more:
Coffee page transparency legend
Our coffee philosophy
Our business approach

Fresh harvest coffee

We only source and roast coffee from each country’s latest harvest season (so the green coffee is never older than 1 year from the time of picking, processing and packing). This ensures the sensory qualities are always at their peak and unaffected by excessive ageing.

Roasted for espresso and filter (best enjoyed black)

Roast style: omni. Omni roasts are designed to brew and taste great both as espresso and filter. Our omni single origins generally sit on Agtron values in the ~70-60 value range. So, technically, they are somewhere in the lighter side of the medium spectrum.

Designed for espresso and filter brewing. Best enjoyed black.

Learn more:
Our Loring Kestrel S35 roaster
Our roasting style and approach

Best brewed within days 15-49 post-roast

The ‘fresh is best’ saying doesn’t apply to coffee (contrary to popular belief). Waiting before opening and brewing your bag of whole coffee beans helps develop peak flavour and acidity.

But heads up: if you buy pre-ground coffee, brew it as soon as possible.

Learn more:
Our recommended brewing window

Try our custom brewing recipes

Our recipes and ratios are tailored to our coffee sourcing and roasting styles, bringing the best flavour and feel out of each coffee.

For pour over, immersion, and other filter brewing styles, check our brew guides.
For our espresso single origins, we recommend a coffee:yield ratio of 1:3:

Dose: 20g ground coffee
Yield: 60g espresso
Total brew time: ~24-28 seconds

This is just a starting point! We encourage you to experiment, taste, and adjust to find the recipe that you enjoy the most.

Learn more:
Our espresso brew guide (single origin)
Brewing ratio calculator

Packaging and sustainability

Bags: ABA-certified home compostable (AS 5810-2010)
Labels: recyclable
Valves (only on +250g bags): general waste
Box and tape (online orders): recyclable

Learn more:
Our packaging

Producer: 850 Smallholder Producers
Country: Kenya
Region: Kirinyaga
Altitude: 1750m above sea level
Varieties: SL28, SL34, and Ruiru 11
Harvested: December 2019
Importer: Cafe Imports
Body: Medium
Acidity: Bright
Tasting notes: Winey, raspberry, toffee apple
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Varieties

Ruiru 11 variety

Released in 1985, Ruiru 11 is a disease resistant varietal developed in Kenya

SL28 variety

SL28 was developed in 1931 by Scott Laboratories to suit the growing conditions in Kenya. The varietal is known for its exceptional cup quality

SL34 variety

Developed by Scott Laboratories in Kenya, the SL34 varietal was designed to be high yielding with good cup quality.

The location

Coffee from Kenya

Alongside Ethiopia and Colombia, Kenya is one of the origins we get most excited about at the roastery. It exports some of the most vibrant, bright, and unique coffees in the world.