Bean of the Month: Kenya Kirinyaga Peaberry Gakuyu-ini

Whew! It’s been a long time coming, but I finally have our Bean of the Month ready for you!

The Kenya Kirinyaga Peaberry Gakuyu-ini is a co-op coffee grown by the Thirikwa Farmers Cooperative Society just west of Nyeri. (See a map) What’s nice about this co-op is that each farmer tends only 200-250 trees on a hectare. That means more attention is given to each tree which leads to a better cuppa for you.

From the co-op, this coffee is sent to Nairobi, where it is nitrogen-flushed and sealed into 22lb packages. From there it’s shipped to our importer. The coffee is then sent directly to us. We here at R&R call this a relationship coffee.

I’ve sampled this in our roaster at both a lighter and bolder roast. I’ve found that this Kenya is happiest at a light roast. For those of you who are not thrilled about the idea of a light roast, I still invite you to give this one a try.

The Gakuyu-ini area in January.

Peter Mureithi, Manager of the Gakuyu-ini ("Factory" in Kenyan)

Signage just outside the processing facility

Our importer gt a kick out of these themed buses in Kenya. Gotta admit, I get a kick out of 'em too.

Tasting Notes

First of all, I have to say this: while quite good a day after roast, this coffee shines after its three days old. It’s almost like you’re trying a different coffee!

The beans by themselves have a wonderful spice aroma to them. A little clove and allspice, mostly, but there’s also a little winey note to it as well. The spices hit you right in the bridge of the nose.

Once you add a touch of water to the grinds, you’ll be greeted with a great jasmine-like aroma. Even cold water will bring that out.

The Jasmine aroma continues to the brewed cup. Also there is a slight spicy tone (spices like cinnamon, not hot spicy) in the cup. At first, you’ll get a slight tingle in the base of your mouth under your tongue.  As the coffee cools, the spices take over dramatically. One comparison I’ve found rings true:

A coffee that reminded me of being in my mom’s kitchen during her weekend-long holiday baked goods extravaganza. A cabinet full of spices with hints of nutmeg, clove and sweet summer fruit bread.

The Kininyaga will continue long past the sip as well! The slightly spicy, slightly smooth aftertaste stays in your mouth for what seems like hours. And you’ll love every minute of it!

Seriously, it’s just that good.

I’m selling pounds of this wonder for $15.95, available immediately. Hurry though, there’s only 40 pounds 39 pounds left. Come on by and taste true happiness in a cup!