Kenya - Kibugu (Filter)

Country: Kenya Region: Kirinyaga, Embu/Mount Kenya Farm: Kibugu Altitude: 1800 m.a.s.l. Variety: Batian Processing: Washed Descriptors: Red apple, lemon zest, nuts ABOUT KIBUGU COFFEE: Kibugu washing station is situated at the volcanic highlands of Mt Kenya. in Embu county. It's part of Kibugu Cooperative which has 8 washing stations. The name Kibugu means mineral water - there was and still there is a natural spring where locals fetch fresh mineral water. This washing station was the 5th washing station to be built in Embu immediately after Kenya attained her independence. It is owned by small scale farmers and it serves an average of 800 active members who deliver their ripe cherries immediately after harvest. The average farmer owns 0.1 of a ha of land in which they grow coffee as a source of family income and they also grow food such as maize, beans, potatoes, vegetables and fruits for their own use. Once the coffee is received at the washing station, the farmers will hand pick the under ripe and over ripe cherries under the supervision of the manager. Thereafter the coffee is weighed by a clerk and poured into a cherry pit awaiting the pulping process. Once all the members have delivered the coffee for the day, the pulping begins and coffee is dry fermented for 24 hours in clean tanks. Thereafter the coffee is washed off the mucilage using clean water from Kii river which flows from the deep forest of Mt Kenya. The coffee is soaked in clean water for 6 hours and thereafter dried outside on raised beds under strict observation to minimize heat damage.