Washed Kenya Embu

Currants, Praline, and Baking Spice. This washed Kenya from Cafe Imports Regional Select Program showcases deeply rich and sweet flavor complimented by a syrupy body and a slight spice on the finish. This coffee shines as a pour over and is rich enough to handle the pressure of being brewed as espresso. Embu is located in the foothills of Mount Kenya just northeast of Nairobi. The area is high in elevation, experiences two rainy seasons, and has rich soil serviced by six rivers. 80% of households work in agriculture. Thousands of small producers grow coffee and deliver it to hundreds of cooperatives for processing. The Regional Select program was created to highlight the unique profiles we have found that are inherent to various microclimates in many of the countries from which we source green coffee. Local variables like wind patterns, soil quality, sunlight, elevation, and other environmental influencers have much to do with the common characteristics that separate, say, a Northern Colombian from a Southern Colombian coffee, just as they inform the differences between a Colombian and a Kenyan. For our Regional Select offerings, we source based on cup quality and character, seeking a balance of “taste of place” with availability and price. These lots are built as blends from coffees that cup out between 84–87 on our 100-point cupping scale, and come with regional and often microregional traceability, but are not farm- or producer-specific. Uteuzi Jimbo is Swahili for "county select," and is a Regional Select program designed to highlight the different coffee-growing counties of Kenya in which Cafe Imports primarily works: Nyeri, Embu, Muranga, and Kirinyaga. These coffees are traceable down to the region, and are created by blending lots from different factories in each area, basis the cup quality and profile.