Kenya Nyeri Gatugi AB

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Middle roast levels are well suited for this Kenya, where juicy body, and bittersweetness are prominently featured, along with notes of black plum, tamarind sauce and lime zest. City+ to Full City+. Good for espresso.

Total Score: 88.2
Product Overview
Full Cupping Notes

We found City+ and even Full City roast levels to be well suited for this lot of AB Gatugi. Our lighter roast tests had a slight paper aspect that seemed to fall away with just a little more roast development. But that's not the only reason to take this coffee into darker territory. It also shows pleasant dark fruit flavors and balanced bittersweetness, aspects that were absent at a lighter City roast level. The fragrance gave off hints of rustic dried stone fruit with pleasantly bittering cocoa roast tones behind it. The wet aroma draws out black currant jam, stewed plums, with a complex cacao note. The cup boasted juicy body, and bittersweetness was a prominent feature, leading the way into fruit flavor notes, and a long finish. Notes of black plum, tamarind sauce and tangy fruit skins come through, and the mouthfeel had some pithy bittering that brought up lime zest for me. I gave my Full City roast a run through the espresso machine, not something I normally recommend for the typical light and bright Kenyan coffee. Gatugi is not puckeringly bright, but instead distills down flavors of saucy chocolate notes and dark fruits into a very complex espresso. Not recommended for milk drinks, but one to enjoy on its own.

COFFEE DETAILS
process methodWet Process (Washed)
cultivarBourbon Types, Modern Hybrids
farm gateYes
Farm Notes

Origin & Farm Notes

Gatugi is one of several coffees we picked up from Othaya Farmer's Cooperative Society (FCS), an FCS that includes an impressive amount of wet mills, 18 in all, dating back to the late 1950s. Gatugi Factory sits at just under 1900 meters above sea level, right along the Ichamama River, which is fed from the Karima forest above. "Factories" are essentially small washing stations aligned with a particular "society" in Kenya, what we would call a "cooperative". We return to the societies who seem to regularly produce some of the best Kenya coffees, and each year we come across societies that are new to us as well. Being one of the older Kenya FCS, we are well aware of the quality coming out of Othaya, and have had the good fortune to buy a few stellar lots the past few years. This is AB outturn, which speaks to the size of the coffee beans. AA's are the largest, and command the highest price while AB are the next size category smaller (about the same size as the typical Guatemalan coffee on our list). They tend to cost less too, even though the cup quality isn't always lower than their AA counterpart.

Specs

Technical Specifications

Key specifications and operating details for this product.

region Gatugi, Nyeri
processing Wet Process (Washed)
drying method Raised Bed Sun-Dried
arrival date Oct 2024
lot size 30
bag size 60 KG
packaging GrainPro Liner
farm gate Yes
cultivar detail SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru-11
grade AB
appearance .4 d/300gr, 15-17 Screen
roast recommendations City+ to Full City+ - better in the middle roast range
type Farm Gate
recommended espresso Yes
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