Kenya Gathaithi AA

The Gathaithi Coffee Growers Cooperative Society was founded in 2000 and brings together approximately 1,600 smallholder farmers working on the slopes of Mount Kenya in the Tetu region. The AA grade denotes the largest bean size on the Kenyan market—and it is precisely this size that guarantees exceptional clarity and intensity in the cup. Harvesting takes place from September through mid-January, with each batch undergoing careful washed processing. The varieties grown here are legends of Kenyan coffee breeding—SL28 and SL34 from Scott Laboratories, supplemented by a smaller proportion of the more resilient Ruiru 11 and Batian varieties.

It is precisely SL28 and SL34 that are responsible for that typical Nyeri character: dark fruit, floral acidity, and dense sweetness. The Berlin roastery Fjord Coffee Roasters roasts it light for filter brewing so that the profile remains clean, structured, and free of unnecessary bitterness. In the cup, blackberry and hibiscus make their presence known first; as the coffee cools, the juicy sweetness of mango comes through. This is exactly the kind of Kenyan that makes you fall in love with specialty coffee forever.