KENYA Kiamabara Nyeri PB FIL

The Story Behind the Bean

Kiamabara Factory is located near Karatina, in Nyeri County, on the southwestern slopes of Mount Kenya. The washing station has been operating since 1995 and is managed by Mugaga Farmers Cooperative Society, formed in 1993 after the large Mathira cooperative was split up. Today, more than 2,000 small-scale producers deliver their cherries there. Each farmer has an average of around 200 coffee trees—what one farmer picks in a day is combined with the harvests of hundreds of others in a single lot. That’s why the selection at intake is so crucial to quality.

Peaberry — One Bean Instead of Two

In a typical coffee cherry, two beans grow with their flat sides pressed together. In about five percent of the harvest, only one seed is fertilized, and that single bean grows into a round peaberry. After drying, they are sorted separately by size and shape. Round beans roll differently through the roaster and absorb heat more evenly, making them noticeably easier to roast. In the cup, this often produces a slightly sweeter, more concentrated coffee—and that’s exactly what this PB delivers.

Processing & Quality

Only ripe cherries are hand-picked and delivered the same day. They are sorted at intake, then pulped and fermented for 12 to 24 hours. Next, the beans pass through grading channels with clean water and soak for about 24 hours in circulating water—a Kenyan classic that eases pressure on the drying beds while also improving clarity and shelf life. Drying takes 10 to 15 days on raised beds or solar dryers, with regular turning to ensure an even moisture content.

The altitude of 1,650 to 1,800 meters, volcanic soil, and slow ripening result in a dense, complex bean. In the cup, blood orange and orange come first, followed by red fruit at the center, with a creamy, buttery body and dark chocolate in the finish. Cupped at 86.5. This coffee came to us through green bean trader Sucafina.

Read more about this coffee on the blog