Country: Kenya
Region: Nyeri
Varietal: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1,600 - 1,800 MASL
Cupping Notes: Lemon, Peach, Black Tea
Recommended Roast:City to Full City
Good For: Auto Drip, Pour Over, Espresso

Description: The Ruthaka Farmers Cooperative Society manages the Ruarai Factory, which processes cherry from members who generally cultivate around 250 coffee trees on half-acre plots. Farming small plots means that producers are very selective, picking and delivering only the ripest cherry to the factory. Ruarai is a Kikuyu name meaning “place of rocks,” which refers to the very rock-filled Ruarai River that flows down along the coffee factory (mill), and which the factory is named after. The Ruthaka Farmers’ Cooperative Society is approximately 600 members strong and collectively harvests approximately 280 tons of coffee cherry per year. Coffees delivered to this factory are grown at the foot of Mt. Kenya, which is situated perfectly for incredible coffee with high elevations and its rich, red volcanic soil.

A quick note on size grading in Kenya. Coffees are marketed and sold in specific sizes, measured by the 64th of an inch. This makes for really uniform beans in every lot sold. This lot from Ruarai is distinguished by the AB in it’s name, meaning that the green coffees measure 15-16/64 of an inch.

Ruarai Coffee Factory has made a name for itself in the specialty coffee industry as year after year they produce some really special coffees. This AB lot stood out on the table for us with a profile that was reminiscent of a Washed Ethiopian coffee. The profile is a bit lighter in acidity than typical in Kenyans, with a more pronounced sweetness and overall delicate cup. We get notes of Lemon, Peach, and Black Tea (very common notes for Washed coffees from Yirgacheffe).