Kenya - Gatomboya AA [24/25]

Brew Guide:

Best Brewed with: Filter

Lightest Roaster Influence: A touch more developed than the last two Kenyans but only by a fraction, we're finding intense sweetness and acidity even as we roast lighter and lighter on this coffee.

Best Rested: 3-4 weeks

Filter: 62g/L & 96°C, with rest we like to move down to 94°C and 60g/L

Espresso: Turbo shots + 3 weeks rest. 18g/50g+ & 20s

We’re tasting:  
A dense and fruity muscovado and blackcurrant aroma, in the cup it's damson plum jam, blackcurrant and redcurrant leading a distinctly purple cup. Heavy body, very sweet, with long finish that reminds us of the sweet-tart bite of rosehip tea. As it cools the muscovado and currant note become like fruitcake

Traceability

The Story

Kenya 24/25 Crop:

We talked in the previous two years about the crisis in Kenyan coffee, and how especially the 23/24 crop year was a bit of a dud. But we've been stoked by everything we've seen and committed to so far from this latest crop - a real return of classic Kenyan flavours.

What makes 2025 different? Timing. The cherry maturation conditions aligned beautifully, with ideal pre-harvest rains leading to exceptional cherry development (irregular rains have become an intense problem in coffee production the world over, a distinct symptom of the climate crisis disrupting weather patterns).

While Kenya has struggled with production challenges in recent years, this season has delivered an unprecedented 60% of the harvest at AA grade - the largest screen size, which indicates just how happy the trees were during harvest. Contrast this to Brazil's recent harvest where there was extreme issues with drought and heat, producing a majority small-screen size harvest.

Gatomboya:

Gatomboya Factory, operated by the Barichu Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS), is located in the Nyeri region of Kenya, an area renowned for producing high-quality coffee with complex flavour profiles. The factory sits at an elevation of 1770 meters above sea level, where the fertile volcanic soils, known as "Nitosol," provide ideal conditions for coffee cultivation.  This commitment to quality is vital in the context of the recent challenges faced by the Kenyan coffee industry, where issues with milling and export have prevented many stellar coffees from reaching their top potential.
We often talk about how as roasters we can only make it worse - the raw material quality is locked in from the chain before us. The same occurs - without good starting material, you’ll get nowhere.

Approximately 600 smallholder farmers each cultivating an average of 0.4 hectares deliver their cherry to Gatomboya. The primary coffee varieties grown in this area are SL28 and SL34, known for their deep root systems and ability to thrive in Kenya's climate.  These cultivars, developed by Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the mid-20th century, have become staples of Kenyan coffee production, offering a degree of stability in a time of industry fluctuation. 

Gatomboya Factory adheres to strict quality control measures throughout the processing stages.  This commitment to quality, combined with the favourable growing conditions and careful post-harvest practices, results in coffee that consistently exhibits the desirable characteristics of Kenyan coffee: bright acidity, syrupy body, and deeply complex fruit flavours