SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian, washed process
Roasted for filter brewing
Official coffee of the 2023 World AeroPress Championship
Only one coffee each year gets chosen to be the official coffee of the World AeroPress Championship, and in 2023, it was this selection from the Karindundu washing station in Nyeri, Kenya.
This coffee is grown by around 500 members of the Barichu co-operative society and processed at the Karindundu washing station.
Most of the farmers who sell their coffee cherries to this washing station have small plots; around half a hectare on average, growing some 300 or so coffee trees.
This lot features a mix of SL28, SL34, Batian, and Ruiru 11 coffee varieties. Batian and Ruiru are prized for their disease resistance and high yield, whereas the SL varieties, known for their superior taste, are advantageous in areas with limited water. Their deep root systems enable them to tap into water sources deep underground.
This lot, like nearly all coffee out of Kenya, is processed using the traditional washed method. Cherries are pulped on the day of picking, fermented overnight, and washed in grading channels before being dried on raised beds.
In the first week of December 2023, around 55 winners of national AeroPress competitions converged on Melbourne to show down against each other for the title of World AeroPress Champion. This is the coffee they had to use in the event, and we relished the opportunity to be the roaster for the competition.
On the surface, there’s a lot of the ‘classic’ Kenyan flavours; blackcurrant, grape, and red berries, but there’s also layers of elegant floral aromatics and a range of textures waiting to be expressed.
This is the first time we’ve bought coffee from Karindundu, and have done so through import partners, Cafe Imports.