Gatomboya
$17.00
Origin: Nyeri, Kenya
What we taste: Ruby Grapefruit, Thyme, Limoncello Cake
Gatomboya is made up of over 600 small coffee producers growing coffee between 1,400 and 2,000 meters above sea level...These coffee farms are really more like coffee gardens, as the average size of each producer is one hectare...which is around 2 1/2 acres. This is a washed coffee, which represents the majority of coffees in Kenya. This is because throughout the entire country, 99% of coffee is grown on "farms" with less than five acres of land. The government has significant involvement in the exporting, pricing, and processing of coffee, which is why they are fully washed. Kenya is known for its strict quality standards and they hardly deviate from those...so it creates a consistent quality product, but some would also argue that there isn't much room for experimentation with processing. The government sells all the coffee through "auctions," and those are not open to the general public. There are many other reasons that coffee from Kenya is different from other producing countries...they have many specific cultivars that were created by Scott Agricultural Labs in the 1930's and 1940's...these cultivars were created to have deeper roots structures to help the plants thrive in areas with scarce water resources. Producers grow these cultivars with a strict eye towards sustainability, using good agricultural practices to help minimize the impact on the environment. Gatomboya has already proven itself to be a beautifully delicious coffee! Around the cupping table we have all agreed that this coffee has a lively sweet grapefruit tartness and a creamy herbaceousness to balance it out.
