Kenya, Rungeto Karimikui AA

This gem is clean and sweet. It makes me see flashes of pink, purple and red. Reminds me of black currant, brown sugar & rhubarb.  

From the Importer Apex Coffee:

KARIMIKUI FACTORY

Perched at high altitude in a region better known for tea than coffee, the Karimikui Factory stands out as a beacon of excellence within the greater Rungeto Farmers Cooperative Society.

Each lot at Karimikui is made up of cherries delivered by hundreds of smallholder farmers from the surrounding hills. Upon arrival, the cherries are meticulously sorted by the factory team to ensure only the ripest make it into production.

The coffee is traditionally processed using dry fermentation, then washed and graded in channels before being carefully dried on raised beds to enhance clarity and complexity.

While the main varieties grown are SL28 and SL34, cultivars known for their bright acidity and depth, other Kenyan staples like Ruiru 11, and the newer Batian can also be part of the mix, adding further      
nuance to these dynamic coffees.

WAREHOUSING AND DRY MILLING

Kenya’s dry mills are highly efficient and professional, ensuring that coffees are carefully stored, milled, and graded before export. Using the country’s standard system, beans are sorted by screen size: AA (17/18), AB (16/17), and PB (peaberry), helping preserve quality and showcase each coffee’s unique character.

HARVEST DETAILS

Kenya’s coffee production is shaped by two distinct harvest seasons: the main crop, harvested between 
October and February, and the smaller fly crop, which runs from May to July depending on the region.

The main crop begins with flowering in February and March, with fresh coffees becoming available for purchase between January and April.

Every cherry is handpicked with care by smallholder farmers, ensuring only the ripest fruit is harvested. Upon delivery to the factory, farmers meticulously sort their cherries, removing over- and under-ripe ones to meet the factory’s strict quality standards.

From there, the cherries are pulped,sorted, and slowly dried—an artisanal process that preserves the integrity and vibrant character of each bean.

PROCESSING

At the factory, processing begins with a disc pulping machine that carefully removes the skin and pulp 
from freshly harvested cherries. The coffee is then separated by density into three distinct grades.

Only the highest qualities (Grades 1 and 2) continue on to fermentation, while Grade 3 is set aside as a 
lower grade.

The selected coffees undergo a traditional fermentation process lasting 16 to 24 hours under cover, a crucial stage that helps develop their bright acidity and refined sweetness. Once fermentation is 
complete, the parchment coffee is thoroughly washed and passed through grading channels, where it is once again sorted by density to ensure precision in quality.

Finally, the beans are soaked for an additional 16 to 18 hours in fresh, clean water sourced from nearby    
streams.

The parchment is then sun dried for up to 21 days on raised drying beds. To protect the quality during 
drying, the coffees are carefully covered with plastic sheets during the heat of midday and throughout the night, shielding them from harsh sun and moisture.