Producer // Gitwe Farmers Cooperative Society

Processing // Wet-process

Region // Ndarguru Division

Varietal // SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11

Elevation // 1,600-1,700 Meters

Tasting Notes // Elderberry, lilac, viscous

Cup Characteristics: Floral and vibrant, the Karatu has the heaviness of a typical Kenyan, yet the flavors are a bit more delicate. A deep elderberry is the foundation, finishing with a syrupy floral essence.

Sourcing information: Located on the eastern slopes of the Aberdare Mountain range in central Kenya, the Gitwe Farmers Cooperative Society works tirelessly, producing some of the best coffee out of Kenya we’ve ever had. The location itself had it’s first coffee plant planted in 1959, and the Karatu “Factory” (Kenya’s term for wet mill / washing station) was built a mere two years later. In 1985, the Co-op became it’s own entity, and continues to put out extraordinary coffees to this day. It is managed democratically by a board of nine elected members, who employ a Secretary Manager to oversee the day to day running of the Co-op. The Karatu Factory’s membership totals at 865 producers, while the Co-op as a whole, which owns a second factory called Kariuga, has 1,868 members. With an expected production of 800,000 kgs of coffee this year, the Gitwe FCS is looking to expand and open a third factory.

Coffees are selectively hand picked and delivered to the factory on the same day. Here, they are meticulously sorted before they are puplped. They are then sun-dried until the desired moisture level is reached, after which they are sent to the dry mill where final processing occurs.