KENYA, Kiamwangi, Nyeri

Producer: Ngariama FCS Cooperative.

Growing altitude: 1650 above sea level.

Botanical variety: SL28, SL34.

Process: Washed.

Tasting notes: Syrup, grapefruit, black currant, cassis, floral hibiscus flavours.

Roast date: 16 May, 2023

Kiamwangi is a washing station or factory owned by the Ngariama Farmer’s Cooperative Society, in the Kirinyaga district. It sits on the slopes of Mt. Kenya in the agriculturally rich Central Province at 1,650 meters above sea level.

Ngariama was originally part of a much larger society, which was established in the 1950s. This society was split up into smaller cooperatives, and "new" Ngariama is one of them.

The cooperative has three washing stations: Kamwangi, Kainumui and Kiamugumo. Kamwangi is the largest of the three and was established in 1982. The washing station has five permanent staff but employs up to 50 people during the harvest.

Around 500 members deliver coffee to Kamwangi. They have on average of 3–5 hectares of coffee (around 1,500–2,000 trees) planted at 1,550–1,650 meters above sea level. The main varieties of coffee grown in this region are SL-28 and -34, which account for 95% of all coffee produced.

The region’s high altitude means that the coffee fruit is able to mature slowly, and this, combined with rich volcanic soil and careful processing, helps to highlight the inherent complex fruit flavours from the SL-28 and SL-34 varieties. 

All the coffee cherry is hand-picked by the small-holders and delivered on the same day to the washing station, where it undergoes meticulous processing.