On the eastern side of the Aberdares mountain ranges in Nyeri County, Kenya, operates the Othaya Farming Cooperative Society. The Othaya FCS is comprised of around 14,000 members who bring their coffees to one of 19 established wet mills, while the cooperative also has its own dry mill where coffees are sorted and graded for export. Coffees from this county are prized around the world for their distinct and intense flavors, contributed by the volcanic soil and knowledgable processing practices.
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping the Kenya Othaya Cooperative, from Bluebeard Coffee Roasters in Tacoma, Washington. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THE BASICS:
region: Nyeri, Kenya
farm: N/A
producer: smallholder farmers
association: Othaya Farmers Cooperative Society
elevation: 1796 meters above sea level
cultivars: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11
process: double washed, raised bed dried
certifications: standard
THE BREW:
method: Aeropress
grind: 22, Preciso
coffee: 18 g
water: 290 mL
bloom: none
pour: very slow pour, 10 second stir, very slow press
THE COFFEE:
The Kenya Othaya’s aroma is deeply, pungently sweet and complex. Beautiful scents of perfumed purple flowers blossom out of the cup, pushed forward by a platform of vanilla, chocolate, honey, and deep, dark berries.
The first few sips of the cup immediately post-brew present my palate with a coffee that medium-bodied, sweet, floral, and lightly creamy coffee. A river of vanilla cream flows over a bed of honey and bittersweet chocolate chips, kicking up hazelnut, raisin, cane sugar, perfumed lilac and violet petals, and possibly just a touch of savory cloves(?) in the finish.
As the cup cools, it becomes much fruitier, a little bit juicy (the juiciness and the creaminess combine to create a silky mouthfeel), and very forward—almost to the point of sour; it just about makes my mouth pucker up after every sip. It does, however, retain just enough sweetness to save it from going too far down the sour/bitter path, with pungent flavors of blackberry, red grape, black plum, lychee, black currant, and peach.
Medium body; silky mouthfeel; berry acidity; clean finish.
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Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.