The technology behind
Just add filtered water to enjoy one of our picks of the season.
These Steeped bags are a simple and elegant way to present a selection of the coffees we find most exciting, removing many brewing variables, and allowing quality and character to shine.
Individual doses are ground and sealed in nitrogen-flushed packages, maintaining the clear aromatic character of freshly ground coffee, for over a year after roasting.
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Gakuyuini
The Gakuyuini factory is located just outside the small town of Ngariama, in the eastern Kirinyaga region. Like much of the excellent coffee we find in Kenya, Gakuyuini is located on the southern slopes of Mount Kenya, home to fertile volcanic soils and plentiful high altitude.
Gakuyuini was built in 1982 and is the only mill owned by the Thirikwa Farmers Cooperative Society, of which there are just over 1500 members. Most of the farmers here have 200-250 coffee trees, spread amongst other crops and farming activities, like maize, macadamia and dairy. These other crops are used both for food and for selling at local markets.
From the slopes of Mount Kenya
The fertile soils and excellent climate in this region lead to very high coffee quality, and the factory’s 3 full time workers careful control of cherry quality and fermentation ensure this reaches the final cup. All of this increases prices, in fact the Thirikwa Cooperative broke the Kirinyaga record for the price paid to its farmers in 2017, and have been one of the most consistently high-paying cooperatives since.
Most farmers here have coffee as their only main cash crop, so the cooperative is encouraging them to grow more coffee to benefit from these high prices, supporting them with seedlings and agronomic advice to maintain quality. This work passes through into the cup, with a ripe and rich character of forest berries and caramel.