Kenya Ndogo is grown in the volcanic soils of Central Kenya on the slopes of the Mount Kenya and Aberdare Mountain Range. Just south of the equator, the Aberdare range spans the counties of Nyandarua, Nyeri, Muranga, Kiambu and Laikipia at an elevation of 4,001 meters. The range is heavily forested (in particular along the more gradual eastern slope) which traps moisture, creating ample rainfall. This climate, combines with abundant sunlight and the acidic soils of these highlands to create idyllic conditions for coffee cultivation. In fact, some might argue that Kenya coffee is one of the most sought-after coffees in the world, yielding a cup with bright, complex acidity, full body, and intense aromatics.
The vast majority of producers in Kenya are smallholders. Most are still cultivating the SL28 and SL34 varieties, however in recent years, farmers are increasingly propagating more disease resistant varieties. Kenya Ndogo is collected from some of the most well known cooperatives in the area. Those cooperatives encourage their farmers to pick only the ripest cherries, which are sorted before pulping. At a factory level, the quality of the cherries is closely checked. After pulping, the parchment is fermented overnight, before being washed and graded into P1, P2, P3, P lights and pods. Most of the time, the P1 and P2 parchment is soaked for several hours after washing. After that, it is dried on the drying tables for 8-21 days. (The cherry pulp waste is utilized as fertilizer to deliver critical nutrients back to the coffee trees.)
Cupping notes: Floral, caramel, brioche; juicy acidity, creamy body.
