Kenya Gatina

DESCRIPTION: fruit punch, stone fruit, brown sugar

WHY WE LOVE IT: Gatina has everything Kenyan coffee lovers look for: rich fruits, punchy citrus, and decadent sweetness. 

REGION: Nyeri, Central Kenya

ALTITUDE: 1,800 - 2,050 m 

PROCESSING: Washed

VARIETY: SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru 11, Batian

Kenyan coffee is singularly revered in specialty coffee, and for good reason. Brimming with fruits, distinct in its terroir, and containing a lovely liveliness, there are few things roasters and specialty coffee aficionados wait for more than Kenyan coffee season. 

Positioned a few kilometers outside the town of Karatina in Nyeri sits the Gatina Washing Station. Here, between the western slopes of Mt. Kenya and the eastern slopes of the Aberdares mountains, 790 members of the Mugaga Farmers' Cooperative Society - including 280 women - bring their coffee cherry to be hand-sorted for quality, with damaged and defective cherry being removed before further processing. The cooperative takes quality very seriously: farmers must take any rejections back to their homes, creating an incentive structure to only bring high quality cherries to the station. 

We're loving Gatina for its very fruit-forward taste profile, a delightful mix of stone fruit, and a punchy citrus. It has all the hallmarks of what we love so much about the region. Once again, we're filled with joy for Kenyan coffee season to be back in full swing.