Kenya Kirinyaga Rungeto Kii AA

Description

A beautiful first AA arrival to kick off the new Kenya season!

Kenyan coffees can be quite potent, especially if compared to Central or South American coffees. They are brighter, usually heavier bodied with more potent spicy chocolaty notes. This is a prime example of the Kenyan profile.

Perched high up in the southern foothills of Mount Kenya on rich red volcanic soil, the areas surrounding the Kii factory are ideal for producing some of the finest Kenyan coffee. Farmers in these fertile foothills who typically cultivate around 250 coffee trees on half-acre plots have been delivering cherry to the Kii factory, which is one of 3 factories managed by an umbrella farmers’ cooperative society (FCS) called the Rungeto Farmers’ Cooperative Society.

Smaller in size than other FCS, Rungeto has focused on quality processing and meticulous attention to detail, garnering it a reputation for amazing coffee and some of the cleanest and best organized factories in Kenya. At the Kii factory only the ripest cherries are delivered, and additional hand sorting and floating is done to remove less dense and damaged beans before the coffee is depulped, fermented and washed. After the coffee is washed, it’s soaked in fresh water for long periods of time to solidify the hallmark Kenyan profiles.

The coffee is dried over a period of two weeks on raised beds, which are carefully constructed to ensure proper air circulation and temperature control for optimal drying. When the coffee is milled for export, the green beans are sorted by screen size and graded according to size and shape.

Tasting Notes: A very clean, exotic and balanced cup of coffee. This cup hit the classic Kenyan cup profile on the head without being too overwhelming like some (very balanced in its tones). Not quite sizzling but a very noticeable lemony floral tone upfront at the light to medium roast points balanced with some stronger but very clean chocolate tones. A hint of spice and soft fruit can be found in the aftertaste. Light roasts will swing the balance towards the floral citric side, darker roasts more towards the jazzy bakers chocolate alley. Holds up into 2nd crack for you dark roast fans. Low acidity and strong bittersweet chocolate tones with the traditional Kenyan spice note that leaves a very smoky tone on the pallet.

Roasting Notes: Clean, great screen and easy to roast. If you like a little acidity, this cup shines at a nice medium roast. Lighter roasts work well but only for very citric floral coffee fans. Right around 2nd crack to just into it will reduce the acidity pretty drastically from the lighter roast points. a 3-4 day setup really smoothed out the cup and brought forth a much greater depth of flavors.