SLEEPER Kiamugumo AA Kenya

About this coffee

CRISP, DYNAMIC, FULL-BODIED. Producer: Various smallholder producers Location: Ngariama, Kirinyaga Elevation: 1800 meters Variety: SL 28, SL 34 Process: Fully Washed The Kiamugumo washing station is near Mount Kenya National Park. Mount Kenya, Africa's second-highest snow-capped peak, is crucial to the region. Its glaciers feed rivers like the Sagana, Thiba, and Nyamindi, contributing to annual temperatures between 13 and 25°C, which is ideal for coffee growing. The Ngariama area's mountainous terrain provides diverse altitudes for cultivation. Farms are typically a 30-minute walk (1-2 km) from the washing station, though access can be challenging during the rainy season due to mud. The washing station communicates coffee weight and other data to farmers via telephone. The predominant population in Ngariama is the Kikuyu, who also speak the Kikuyu language. Farms are typically small (1-2 hectares), with adults working and children attending schools, which are not free. Unfortunately, the cost of schooling limits educational and future opportunities, leading to a growing trend of young people migrating to cities for better jobs, often leaving their parents on farms or abandoning them entirely. Coffee is the primary economic driver in Ngariama, supplemented by banana and maize crops. Grevillea, macadamia, and false banana trees provide shade for coffee plants. Local producers use fences to protect crops from wild animals like elephants and buffaloes, respecting government prohibitions on logging and hunting. Processing at the Kiamugumo station is meticulous. Coffee cherries undergo hand-sorting, pulping, and 24-36 hour fermentation. After fermentation, they are washed, density-graded using water from the Nyamindi River, and then sun-dried on African beds for 12-20 days. To protect them from extreme temperatures, coffees are covered with plastic during midday and at night. The factory has implemented wastewater soak pits away from the water source to promote environmental conservation, though it does not currently engage in wastewater treatment.

Coffee details reported by Pastime Coffee.