Kenya is famed for being a unique coffee-producing country in East Africa, with almost 700,000 coffee producers. Chinga Coffee Factory lies in Nyeri County, belonging to the Othaya Farmer's Cooperative Society. Factories are essentially wet mills and collection points for coffee.
Opened in 1987, the factory is nestled between the Rwarai and Chinga Rivers, situated at roughly 1795 meters above sea level. The bright red soils full of nutrients, high altitude and ideal temperatures with rainfall allow for a slow maturation of the coffee cherries. Producers also add manure, compost and coffee pulps to enrich the soils.
Once these producers have gathered their ripe cherries, they are delivered to the factory, where they are sorted and pulped to remove the external fruit from the coffee bean. This is done with a machine that squeezes the cherries between a rotating drum against a fixed surface. Coffees are then soaked in cement tanks for a day to allow mucilage to break down. Afterwards, the coffee is washed through channels containing clean water, before being spread on raised beds to dry in the open sun for up to 21 days, or until moisture contents reach around 12%.
The cup bursts with a lively brightness, bringing flavours of redcurrants and dried cranberries that's rounded by a sweet hawthorn depth. Its vibrant acidity is balanced by its bold and full body.
Recommended to rest beans for 7-10 days from roast date before consuming.
