Halfwit Coffee Roasters’s latest Kenyan offering comes from the Alimu Estate, owned and operated by Alice and Julius Muriithi. Alimu Estate is located in Kirinyaga County, which contains the southern half of Mount Kenya and its surrounding plateaus, a region known for it’s incredibly distinct and highly sought after coffees.
Kenyan-style processing, which typically includes two or more washes, a post-fermentation soak, and drying on raised parabolic beds, is some of the most advanced and meticulous in the world, producing coffees with exceptional clarity and cleanliness.
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping the Kenya Alimu, from Halfwit Coffee Roasters in Chicago, Illinois. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THEDETAILS:
origin: Kirinyaga County, Kenya
farm: Kenya Alimu Estate
producer: Alice and Julius Muriithi
association: N/A
elevation: 1700 meters above sea level
cultivars: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian
process: fully washed, parabolic bed dried
certifications: standard
CUPPINGNOTES:
The aroma of the Kenya Alimu is pretty standard fare for a Kenyan coffee (not to, in any way, diminish the coffee’s aroma – which is superb): chocolate, dark fruits, and a bouquet of florals.
Taking my first few sips from the cup immediately post-brew, my tongue is enveloped by a juicy, full-bodied coffee that possesses an extravagant flavor profile. This coffee is voluptuous, elegant, deep, and is absolutely beautiful with notes of dark chocolate ganache, black cherry, Cabernet Sauvignon (even down to the astringent red wine tannins), mulling spices, oak, floral aromatics (rose and violet, in particular), raisin, cranberry, honeycrisp apple, earth, and a slightly tart tangerine acidity.
Full body; juicy mouthfeel; citric acidity; clean finish.
FINALTHOUGHTS:
Halfwit Coffee Roasters’s Kenya Alimu is a real treat. A beautiful, decadent, and voluptuous coffee that is absolutely delicious. Sweet, fruity, floral, and elegant, this coffee also featured a stunning clarity and cleanliness.
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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.