Kenya

Kianyangi

2018

Washed process SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11

Flavour: finger lime, blackcurrant, raspberry

We’re back in Kenya to bring you a delicious coffee from Kianyangi, a washing station which has previously won the Dorman Quality Competition for the Embu district.

The Kianyangi washing station (or ‘factory’ as they’re known in Kenya) is owned by the Murue Farmers Cooperative Society. The co-op is made up of around 750 farmers, with each growing around 130 trees on their farm.

Kianyangi washing station is located in Kavutiri, near the city of Embu in the Eastern Province of Kenya. The region borders the iconic Mount Kenya and Kamithumo river, which is the primary water source for coffee processing at the factory.

The main harvest for Kianyangi is from November to March. The farms sit at an average altitude of 1,800m above sea level, and their rich volcanic soil and ideal conditions to produce exceptional coffee. Most of their trees are SL28 and SL34 varietal; and around 10% is Ruiru 11.

Photo: Melbourne Coffee Merchants

Processing coffee at Kianyangi

After picking, ripe coffee cherry is brought to the washing station by smallholder farmers before it’s processed to remove the skin and pulp: what’s known as wet processing.

Five soaking pits have been established for wastewater management, and any waste water is also recirculated.

The factory uses a disc pulper with three separate discs to remove the skin and fruit from the inner parchment layer that is protecting the green coffee bean.

After pulping, the coffee is fermented overnight to break down the sugars, after which the cherry is cleaned and soaked for a further 24 hours. This process increases the proteins and amino acids, increasing the complexity of the acidity and clarity in the cup.

Photo: Melbourne Coffee Merchants

The coffee is then spread out on the raised drying tables. Time on the drying tables depends on climate, ambient temperature and volumes under processing, and can take from 7–15 days in total.

Improving quality

Like Kiamabara who we’ve previously featured, Kianyangi currently receives assistance from Coffee Management Services (CMS), who have been on the ground directly helping producers improve their farm’s productivity and quality through training and education programs.

In addition farmer members can get access to financing through free advances on payments before the season starts. The objective of the service is to establish a transparent and trust-based relationship with the smallholder farmers, helping to support sustained industry growth. Doing this helps drive continued improvements in quality which will earn the farmers a premium over lower quality crops.

Learn everything about this coffee:

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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

Murue Farmers Cooperative Society

Country

Kenya

Region

Kavutiri County, Eastern Province

Altitude

1800m above sea level

Varieties

SL28, SL34, and Ruiru 11

Process

washed

Harvested

December 2015

Importer

Melbourne Coffee Merchants

Body

Medium

Acidity

Vibrant

Tasting notes

Finger lime, blackcurrant, raspberry

Roast style

Omni (filter + espresso)