Kenya – Gatomboya AA #148
Gatomboya is a legendary factory, standing out amongst a crowded field.
Our second Kenyan from this season, selected from the Nordic Approach offer sees a return of more classic flavours – we’re finding darker fruits and intense acidity, a firm contrast to the lighter, clarity driven Gichatha-ini AA this coffee replaces.
Brew Guide:
Best Brewed with: Filter
In many years, we might be trying to tame Kenyan acidity, but with our current selection we’re finding faster roasts are needed to bring back some of the classic cups.
Best rested for: 3-4 weeks
For Filter: 94°C & 65g/L to concentrate the dark fruits front and centre, 97°C & 60g/L for a more balanced cup. Drop temps 2-3°C if well rested
For Espresso: 18g in to 44g out, 32-36s for something classic, or go 50g+ and 20-25s turbo style. Needs rest
We’re tasting: Dense, dark fruit character and syrupy. Black cherry and tea notes lead the aroma, with some hints of the classic blackcurrant acidity in the cup. As it cools, golden syrup & ruby grapefruit come to the fore
Traceability
Country of Origin: |
Kenya |
Region: |
Konyu, Mathira district, Nyeri, Central Highlands |
Producer Group: |
700 smallholders in the Barichu Farmers Co-operative Society |
Station: |
Gatomboya Factory |
Variety: |
SL-28, SL-34, Batian, Ruiru 11 Screen size: AA |
Elevation: |
Farm elevations – 1400 to 2000 MASL, Factory at 1770 MASL |
Process: |
Washed: Ripe coffees picked and delivered to Gatomboya, with pre-selection and sorting before pulping. During pulping, coffee is density sorted down channels into holding tanks. The pulped parchment coffee is dry fermented for 16-24hr in shaded tanks, before washing with clean water down grading channels (which use gravity to sort via density). The squeaky clean parchment is then soaked again in clean water for a further 16-18hrs prior to drying on raised beds. Drying takes up to 21 days with plastic shading during the hottest parts of the day, reducing temperature damage to the coffee.
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Import Partner: |
Nordic Approach via Dormans. |
Harvest: |
Crop 23/24, Arrived UK: September 2024 |
The Story:
Gatomboya Factory, operated by the Barichu Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS), is located in the Nyeri region of Kenya, an area renowned for producing high-quality coffee with complex flavour profiles. The factory sits at an elevation of 1770 meters above sea level, where the fertile volcanic soils, known as “Nitosol,” provide ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. This commitment to quality is vital in the context of the recent challenges faced by the Kenyan coffee industry, where issues with milling and export have prevented many stellar coffees from reaching their top potential.
We often talk about how as roasters we can only make it worse – the raw material quality is locked in from the chain before us. The same occurs – without good starting material, you’ll get nowhere.
Approximately 600 smallholder farmers each cultivating an average of 0.4 hectares deliver their cherry to Gatomboya. The primary coffee varieties grown in this area are SL28 and SL34, known for their deep root systems and ability to thrive in Kenya’s climate. These cultivars, developed by Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the mid-20th century, have become staples of Kenyan coffee production, offering a degree of stability in a time of industry fluctuation. The SL cultivars have become world renown for their cup profile, and it’s for this reason we’ve also selected a naturally processed SL-28 from Costa Rica – one of our most expensive low technical intervention lots to date. The pairing of these coffees is a fascinating investigation into the effects of land, climate and human influence on the genetic expression of flavour we find in coffee.
Gatomboya Factory adheres to strict quality control measures throughout the processing stages. This commitment to quality, combined with the favourable growing conditions and careful post-harvest practices, results in coffee that consistently exhibits the desirable characteristics of Kenyan coffee: bright acidity, syrupy body, and deeply complex fruit flavours
