Kenya
Kamwangi AA
Terroir Best Lot
QUALITY SCORE: 89.00
Cup Notes
Blackcurrant / Strawberry / Honey / Lime / Cola
Suggested for espresso and filter
Kamwangi is an embodiment of Kenyan excellence. This high-quality AA coffee, processed using the washed method, boasts a vibrant flavour profile with intense sweetness and complex acidity.
when we roast
We freshly roast to order all coffees on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding national holidays), and ship the same day! Cut-off time is 11:59pm (UTC+1) of the day before the roast day. *We only ship whole beans*
Details
- Quality Score
- 89.00
- Series
- Terroir Best Lot
- Producer
- Kamwangi Factory
- Country
- Kenya
- Terroir
- Kirinyaga
- Altitude
- 1600-1800 masl
- Process
- Kenya Washed - Raised Beds
- Arabica cultivar
- SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11
- Picked in
- January 2023
- Arrived in
- August 2023
- Shipped in
- Jute + GrainPro
- Roast profile by
- Rubens Gardelli
- Roasted on
- Customised solid-drum roaster
Suggested brewing recipe
To help you make the best out of your coffee, Rubens has crafted recipes for brewing this particular lot in filter.
There are two recipes: one for conical brewer (think v60) and one for flat-bottom brewer (think Kalita), however you can surely brew our coffees with any other brewing device, such as immersion brewers.
Please remember that these recipes are intended as starting points and may require further adjustments if the equipment you use is not identical to the one in the recipe; the characteristics of water used can also make a big difference in brewing.
Finally, the recipes suited specifically to Rubens’ roasting style, hence we do not guarantee that they will work as a universal reference.
There are two recipes: one for conical brewer (think v60) and one for flat-bottom brewer (think Kalita), however you can surely brew our coffees with any other brewing device, such as immersion brewers.
Please remember that these recipes are intended as starting points and may require further adjustments if the equipment you use is not identical to the one in the recipe; the characteristics of water used can also make a big difference in brewing.
Finally, the recipes suited specifically to Rubens’ roasting style, hence we do not guarantee that they will work as a universal reference.
Have fun brewing!
V60 STYLE
- Coffee:
- 17g
- Grind:
- Comandante 45 clicks (medium)
- Water:
- 250g (40tds) at 94 Celsius
- Filter:
- Light Roast T-92, Cafec
- Time:
- 3:00
- Brew strenght:
- 1,30 tds
FLATBED
- Coffee:
- 17g
- Grind:
- Comandante 45 clicks (medium)
- Water:
- 250g (40tds) at 94 Celsius
- Filter:
- Stagg [X], Fellow
- Time:
- 2:50
- Brew strenght:
- 1,25 tds
THE STORY BEHIND
Kamwangi is a washing station—or factory, as they are called in Kenya—that is owned by the New Ngariama Farmer’s Cooperative Society, in the Kirinyaga district. It sits on the slopes of Mt. Kenya in the agriculturally rich Central Province at 1,610 meters above sea level. The cooperative has three washing stations: Kamwangi, Kainumui and Kiamugumo. Kamwangi is the largest of the three and was established in 1982.
The cooperative works with around 1,500 local farmers who cultivate the varieties of Ruiru 11, SL28 and Batian at altitudes up to 1,800 masl. Kamwangi has been consistently producing some of the most outstanding Kenyan coffees for a few seasons now, a testament to the diligence of their farmers and the factory staff.
THE VARIETY
SL28 was bred by Scott Laboratories in 1931 from Tanganyika D.R. It has become very popular throughout Kenya and is recognised as a variety of exceptional cup quality. It has wide leaves with coppery tips, and the beans are wide. At the same time, the productivity of SL28 is comparatively low. Though there is no sufficient proof, some sources claim that Scott Labs crossed mutations of French Mission, Mocha and Yemen Typica to produce SL 28. Whatever the exact genetic composition, their original goal almost certainly was to create a plant with high quality, reasonable productivity and great drought resistance.
SL 34 is a mutation of French Mission, originating from the plantation of Loresho in Kabete. SL34 has wide leaves with bronze tips. It is widely grown throughout Kenya. SL34 is valued for its high productivity in different climate conditions and great height ranges. It is also claimed to be resistant towards drought and strong rainfall.
Ruiru 11 is a compact, high-yielding coffee variety developed in Kenya as a response to a coffee berry disease epidemic in 1968. The breeding program at Ruiru Coffee Research Station in the 1970s aimed to create a variety resistant to the disease while maintaining high cup quality. Through years of crossing progenitors, a complex hybrid male parent was developed, incorporating resistance to coffee berry disease and good cup quality attributes from various strains. The female parent, chosen for compactness and additional disease resistance, came from Catimor lines. The final step involved crossing the male complex hybrid with the compact female parent to produce Ruiru 11. However, mass propagation through hand pollination has been challenging, limiting its availability to meet farmer demand.
THE FERMENTATION PROCESS
The coffee cherries are hand-sorted for unripe and overripe ones by the farmers before they go into production.
The pulp is removed and the coffee is fermented for 24-36 hour under close shade depending on climate temperatures.
After fermentation the cherries are washed and again graded by density in washing channels.
They are then taken to the drying tables where they will be sun-dried on African beds for 12 to 20 days (the time depends on weather conditions). Coffees are covered in plastic at midday and at night to protect the beans from night moisture and rains.
