Gathugu Estate (Africa-Arabia)
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In Kenya there are nearly 140 cooperative mills, with democratically elected managers, which process coffee from 2-300 farmers who live within walking distance of the mill. In the afternoon the women bring the newly picked cherries in bundles carried on their heads to the mill, where they are spilled on the patio for inspection. The mill manager directs the hand sorting of over-ripe and green cherries until he is satisfied with the uniform ripe red color. This remaining coffee is weighed and added to the fermenting tank. When all the contributions are in, the cherries are washed and then de-pulped. The manager supervises the fermentation in fresh water, and then the washing which removes any remaining pulp from the parchment covered seeds.
These are carefully placed on raised screens to dry in the sun and open air. At night or during infrequent showers they are covered with polyethylene tarps to protect them. After six to ten days of drying the coffee is sorted by size and removed to wooden silos to rest and mellow its flavor. When it has spent 45 to 60 days in ‘reposado’ it can be sent to the Kenya Coffee Coop in Nairobi, where it is milled to green coffee, sorted again by size, and sampled for the weekly auction.
Our importer cups pre-auction samples from February to May, and e-mails their agent in Kenya which ones to buy. A price is not set, just which lots are wanted. The agent purchases them at the auction, then electro-sorts and finally hand sorts the beans to remove any remaining imperfections. These AA+ Kenyas, the very highest qualities available, come from any number of very small estates in the region. This entire process produces the now famous KENYA MASAI, with the copyrighted warrior on the bag.