Tasting Notes: Pineapple, Honey, & Pomegranate

Country: Kenya

Region: Kirinyaga County,  nKenya

Farmer/Grower: 2500 small holder farmers 

Producer/Co-Op: Nicholas Mwangi // Bahati Coffee Co-Op

Varieties: SL-28/SL-34

Processing: Washed

Altitude: 1700-1800 m.a.s.l.

We met Nicholas Mwangi at our booth during Coffee Fest in 2024, after maintaining contact over the year, we bumped into each other again at the Specialty Coffee Expo in Houston this past April. Out of thousands of people we were able to connect and lock in coffees this year. We finally were able to purchase some of his coffee that is produced by him and his family in Kenya. Bahati Coffee is his project with his father in law. Together they were able to cultivate their own coffee Co-Op in Kenya. They currently own the mill, processing plant and work closely with his family and neighboring coffee farmers to maximize production and volume.

This is our first ever Kenyan Coffee and were so excited we were able to purchase this directly with Nicholas and his family. 

Here’s some background information from Nicholas about his farm:

It appears that we find something alluring about the Baragwi Cooperative as we find ourselves returning to many of their factories. This includes Kariru, another coffee factory from the Barawgi Coop in Kirinyaga.

It is for this reason, the Baragwi Cooperative is becoming one our main suppliers in Kenya. Other familiar names under this coop are: Guama, Karumandi and Gachami. We purchase a good amount of AA’s, AB’s and PB’s from the coop.

Kirinyaga has increasingly become a consistent producer of great coffees. Each lot consists

Each lot consists of coffees from hundreds of smallholders in the local surroundings of the washing station (or factory). They sort the cherries before it goes into production. The coffees are traditionally processed with dry fermentation before washed and graded in channels and dried on raised beds. The farmers are mainly growing SL28 and SL34, but as with almost all Kenyan Cooperative coffees it can be a mix of everything. Other normal cultivars are K7, Ruiru 11 and now also Batian.

They are supported by Tropical farm management, a company that supports small holders to increase their coffee production, assist in quality control and introduce traceability on processing methods.”

Origin: Kariru – Baragwi Farmers Cooperative Society

Kariru the factory was named after the famous man they called “Kariru” who was a native of the area. It was opened for coffee processing in1986. It’s on western side of Kirinyaga District in the southern part of famous Mt. Kenya.

Farm / Estate Processing Techniques

Washed with fresh river water and sundried on raised beds

Environmental / Sustainability Initiatives

The same water used for pulping multiple times during the day through a recycling process enabling them to significantly reduce water consumption.

Actual farm/coop size 600 tonnes of cherries/year

Number of producers/growers 2500 farmers

Soil type Rich volcanic soil

Flowering period March-May

Harvest period October-January

Average rainfall (mm) 1250

Average annual temperatures °C Average low : 15 degrees

Average high: 25 degrees