Farmers in Othaya planted their first coffee trees in 1956. The Coop has 19 wet mills. The Coop is located in Nyeri County, Othaya district, Eastern slopes of Aberdare ranges.
Farmers selectively handpick ripe cherries that are delivered for wet milling the same day. The parchment is then fermented, washed and sun dried . Dry parchment is milled and bagged at Othaya coffee mills and then transported to warehouses. The Coffee is then sold either through the Nairobi auction or direct to overseas buyers.
The Coop is managed by an elected board of 13 members, elected from all catchment areas. Each member represents an electoral zone in the larger Othaya District . Currently the Coop has 120 permanent members of staff who are headed by a Secretary Manager. The Secretary Manager oversees the day to day running of the Coop under the supervision of the board.
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping the Kenya Kiruga AB, from Passion House Coffee Roasters in Chicago, Illinois. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THE BASICS:
region: Othaya District, Iriani Division, Kenya
farm: N/A
producer: smallholder farmers
association: Othaya Farmers Cooperative Society
elevation: 1890 meters above sea level
cultivars: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian
process: fully washed, raised bed dried
certifications: standard
THE BREW:
method: Bonmac
grind: 18, Preciso
coffee: 32 g
water: 500 mL
bloom: 1:00
pour: 2:00 pulse pour, 1:00 drop
THE COFFEE:
What a fantastic aroma this Kiruga has; my goodness. So complex, too, with scents of dark chocolate, a bit of mint, oatmeal, and brown sugar.
Not too long ago, I had a really wild stout from Ska Brewing called Vernal Minthe; it was one of the most unique beers I’ve ever tasted. Surprisingly (shockingly, really), this coffee has a very similar profile: creamy bittersweet dark chocolate and oatmeal raisin cookie provide a firm foundation, while really interesting flavors of mint and Darjeeling tea leaves nip at the tip and sides of the tongue.
As the cup cools, the body lightens a bit but the flavor profile remains really intense (it’s not necessarily that the flavors are intense—it’s the overall profile; the way they all interact in congress). Deep, dark fruit juiciness comes rushing up from the bottom of the cup, breaking through the coffee’s thick upper crust (which remains, by the way, largely intact): raisin, black plum, peach, black cherry, and red grape lead to a really crisp, clean finish that lifts to reveal a lingering aftertaste of pistachio and bittersweet dark chocolate chips.
Full body; creamy mouthfeel; plum 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.