PROFILE Refreshing & Exotic
TASTES LIKE Raspberry, Lemonade, Mango Sorbet
ROAST Medium Roast for Espresso Brewing
ABOUT
Mwalimu Ndichu Kibe is a retired teacher who started coffee farming in 1965. His farm, situated in Nairobi, Kiambu County, is around 19 hectares. Mwalimu has his own small wet mill where he can process his coffee, ensuring full traceability back to his farm. Cherry is selectively handpicked and then pulped. Coffee is then fermented for 18 hours in a small tank before being washed in clean water to remove any remaining mucilage. Parchment is transferred to raised beds where it sundries for 7 to 21 days, depending on weather conditions. Even drying is ensured by regular turning of the parchment. Mwalimu's long-term goal is to improve the quality of his coffee to access markets better and increase his livelihood. With increased returns from higher-quality coffee, he can better support his family.
Driven to gain traceability further and deepen relationships at origin, we pursued a new buying strategy within our Kenya programme in 2022. While not the first to do so, we are still one of only a handful of roasters worldwide offering single estate Kenya lots this season through our trading partners KenyaCof. The recent establishment of Kahawa Bora Millers has made it possible for KenyaCof to highlight single estates by making it possible to mill smaller lots. This has not been the case in previous years and brings a whole new dimension to what is feasible for producers in Kenya. Lot separation maintains traceability & is pivotal to the producer/roaster relationship, closing the feedback loop and offering brand identity to the farmer. With help from Kahawa Bora, producers also have access to training about improved pruning, cultivation and harvesting methods. Kahawa Bora's field staff perform soil analysis to inform correct input application, which helps improve yields and quality while reducing cost and environmental impact. This focus on high quality at all stages of cultivation and processing has increased cup scores quickly, resulting in better returns for the producers involved. We're happy to be part of this supply chain and cannot wait to share these with the world again for a second year. Verde could be one of our greatest examples of the positive results this kind of commitment can yield.
SOURCING
- ORIGIN Nairobi, Kiambu, Kenya
- PRODUCER Mwalimu Ndichu Kibe
- HISTORY Second year of purchasing
- VARIETIES SL-28, Riuru 11
- PROCESS Fully Washed
- HARVEST November to January
- QUALITY SCORE 87.50
- ALTITUDE 1594 - 1792 masl
- LOT SIZE 240 kgs
- PARTNERS KenyaCof