KENYA KIHUYO LOT 6191

Flower Eden

Kenya has long been one of the most anticipated origins in Arkib Kopi’s lineup. We have always admired its unique expression of coffee defined by brightness, complexity, and an elegant sense of structure. The latest release Kihuyo continues this tradition with a profile built on dried fruit character, white florals, and layered tropical notes. It reflects what washed Kenyan coffee is known for while carrying its own refined identity.

With a lighter roast approach, the natural clarity of Kihuyo is preserved and expressed with precision. On hand brew, it opens with a balanced red fruit character reminiscent of assam belanda and red plum, followed by a gentle sweet-sour note similar to ambarella. As the cup cools, the profile moves into tropical fruit with a defined longan sweetness and a bright citrus finish reminiscent of jeruk buah, tangy yet sweet. As espresso, the citrus becomes more pronounced with a burst of blackberry and a crisp acidity similar to biting into lime. With milk, the profile softens into elderflower and wild honey, while a creamy candlenut character adds depth with a subtle hint of curry leaf in the finish. Kihuyo offers a different perspective on washed Kenya, retaining its familiar clarity and structure while carrying a quietly unexpected character.

The Producer

Kihuyo is one of the producing factories under the Mutheka Farmers Cooperative Society in central Kenya, a collective of nearly 6,000 smallholder farmers each tending around 160 coffee trees. The cooperative operates seven washing stations across the region, creating a network deeply rooted in Kenya’s long tradition of washed coffee production. The coffees here are shaped by both scale and precision, where countless small harvests come together into one distinct expression.

At Kihuyo, ripe cherries are delivered and carefully sorted before pulping begins. Through water flotation the denser beans are separated from lighter immature cherries, allowing only the heavier lots to move into fermentation. The first fermentation rests for around 24 hours, followed by a second stage lasting another 12 to 24 hours. Once complete the beans are washed clean and moved into soaking tanks under fresh water for another day, a process believed to deepen acidity and build the layered fruit character that has become central to Kenyan coffee.

Drying begins on raised beds where the parchment is spread thinly to remove moisture quickly before being gathered into thicker layers for a slower drying period of five to ten days. Once stable the coffee is moved to private mills and rested in raised bodegas, allowing the parchment to breathe before export. The final lot is made up of classic Kenyan varieties including SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11, a balance of heritage and modern adaptation. Together they bring structure, sweetness and resilience, shaping the vivid and complex profile that defines Kihuyo.

• Cupping Score 86.25 pts

  Fragrance
  grape, white flower, vanilla, pistachio
  
  Aroma
  caramel, cow milk, concord grape, salted caramel
  
  Flavour
  muscat grape, goji berry, caramel, turmeric, blueberry, cola, red berries
  
  Aftertaste
  Structured
  
  Acid
  medium | malid > citric acidity, tropifcal fruits fruitiness
  
  Body
  medium | syrupy
  
  Balance
  pointed, harmony, structured, well balance
  
  Overall
  sweet sour tropical fruits with juicy body

• Roasting Schedule

  Roasting on every day from Monday to Thursday
  Cut-off order 3:00 p.m. a day before processing begins.

  Retail and Wholesale Delivery
  Retail order on the next working day

  Delivery will be made on the next processing working day once your order is roasted or ready.

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