Kenya | Gachatha AA

Region: Nyeri County, Central Kenya
Altitude: 1,700 metres above sea level
Varietals: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11 & Batian
Process: Washed
Producer: Gachatha Farmers' Co-operative Society
Sourcing Partner: Melbourne Coffee Merchants

An exceptionally bright and juicy cup profile, offering everything we love about Kenyan coffee. The acidity is vibrant yet refined, with a texture that is rich and deeply satisfying. Notes of golden kiwi, blood orange and a finish of honey florals create a compelling cup.

Recommended for all brew methods. 

Origin Story Gachatha is a washing station (or factory, as they are called in Kenya) located on the slopes of the Aberdare mountains, in Nyeri County.

Gachatha receives coffee cherries from some 2,009 of the cooperative’s members (65% male, 35% women) who have small farms sitting at an average of 1,700m above sea level. Contributing farmers usually live close to the factory, and often deliver by foot, bicycle or motorcycle.

The land that surrounds Gachatha is rich in biodiversity. The Aberdare mountains are defined by its bright red, nutrient rich volcanic soil and this combined with the regions cool climate and high elevations contributes to the outstanding quality of coffee grown here.


Processing All the coffee cherry is hand-picked and delivered on the same day to the washing station, where it undergoes meticulous sorting. This is also done by hand and is overseen by a ‘cherry clerk’ who ensures any unripe and damaged cherries are removed. The ripe cherry is then digitally weighed and recorded, and the farmer receives a receipt of delivery.

The coffee is then placed in a receiving tank and pulped using a four-disc pulping machine to remove the skin and fruit from the inner parchment layer that protects the green coffee bean. After being pulped, the coffee is sorted by weight using water, with the highest quality and densest beans being separated out from the lighter, lower-quality beans.

The coffee is then dry fermented for 20–24 hours, to break down the sugars and remove the mucilage (sticky fruit covering) from the outside of the beans. Whilst the coffee is fermenting it is checked intermittently and when it is ready it is rinsed and removed from the tanks and placed in a washing channel.

The parchment-covered coffee is then washed with fresh water from a nearby dam established in 1941 and sent through water channels for grading by weight. The heavier coffee, which sinks, is considered the higher quality, sweeter coffee, and any lighter density or lower grade coffee beans are removed. The beans are then sent to soaking tanks where they sit underwater for a further 24 hours. This process increases the proteins and amino acids, which in turn heightens the complexity of the acidity.

After soaking, the coffee is pumped onto deep drying beds where they drain for 1-2 hours, before being transferred to raised drying tables (also known as African beds). As they dry the parchment is turned constantly to ensure even drying, and so that any defective beans can be identified removed. Time on the drying tables depends on the weather, ambient temperature and processing volume: taking anywhere from 1-3 weeks to get to the target moisture of 11–12%. After drying the coffee is moved to conditioning beds, where it rests in parchment for about a month. This resting period helps to stabilise water activity and contributes to long-lasting quality and vibrancy in the cup.