Kenia Kibugu

Kenia Kibugu

100% Arabica

Region: Kirinyaga

Variety: SL 28 & SL 34, Batian

Processing:  washed

Tasting profile: green apple, lime, cranberry

SCA: 84.00 points

The Kibugu washing station, which gives Kenia Kibugu its name, is located in the volcanic highlands of Mount Kenya in the Embu region. It is one of Kenya’s most highly regarded coffee-growing areas, known for its fertile soils and ideal climate. The station belongs to the Kibugu Cooperative, which brings together eight washing stations. The name “Kibugu” means mineral water and refers to a natural spring from which the local community has drawn clean water for generations.

Kibugu station was established as the fifth in the Embu region shortly after Kenya gained independence, and it remains in the hands of smallholder farmers to this day. It serves around 800 active coffee producers, who deliver freshly picked, ripe coffee cherries directly after harvest. Each farmer cultivates a small farm of about 0.1 hectares, where coffee is the main source of income, alongside crops such as corn, beans, potatoes, vegetables, and fruit for personal use.

After the coffee is delivered to the washing station, careful fruit selection begins. Unripe and overripe coffee cherries are removed by hand under supervision, helping preserve the high quality of the raw material. The coffee is then weighed and placed in tanks, where it is prepared for the beans to be separated from the fruit pulp.

Kenya Kibugu is processed using the washed method, which is key to its clean, vibrant flavor profile. The beans are fermented for 24 hours in clean tanks and then thoroughly rinsed with water from the Kii River, which flows from the mountain forests of Mount Kenya. The next steps are soaking for several hours and drying outdoors on raised tables, ensuring even drying and high quality in the final product.

Kenia Kibugu is an excellent choice for anyone looking for specialty coffee from Kenya with a distinctive origin, careful processing, and a characteristic flavor profile shaped by the Mount Kenya and Embu regions.

Recommended brewing methods:

drip coffee maker, V60, French press, AeroPress, Chemex, pour-over

How to brew Kenia Kibugu?

Espresso:

• dose: 18.5 g
• yield: 40 g
• brew time: 26 sec

Moka pot:

• dose: full basket
• yield: according to the size of the moka pot*
• brew time: until the coffee stream turns into foam

*Always brew the maximum amount of coffee your moka pot is designed for. Pour boiling water into the water reservoir, making sure it does not go above the safety valve.