Kenya AB Kiamwangi

Kiamwangi Factory sits in Nyeri County's Mathira East, in the Iria-ini location just a few kilometres from Karatina town, and is part of Iria-Ini Farmers Co-operative Society Ltd. Around 550 farmers - roughly 350 men and 200 women - deliver cherry here from small family plots scattered a few kilometres from Karatina town across the southern slopes of Mt Kenya. High altitudes between 1,750 and 1,900 meters, deep red volcanic soils rich in phosphorus, and steady mountain rainfall of about 1,500 mm a year create ideal conditions for coffee.

Coffees from Nyeri develop and mature slowly in this cool environment, producing extra-hard, dense beans that carry more flavour and hold up beautifully under roasting. That quality is easy to see in the cup. Kiamwangi's farmers grow predominantly classic SL28 and SL34 - the timeless backbone of Nyeri’s high-altitude profiles, with only minor traces of newer disease-resistant varieties in the wider cooperative catchment -and together they produce around 150,000 kg of cherry per year, harvested across two seasons - April to July and October to December, with the main harvest typically running from October to January.

At factory level, the work is meticulous in a way that is characteristic of Nyeri’s best washed coffees. Cherries are delivered ripe, sorted, and then pulped before moving through a double fermentation process with a river water rinse. That sequence is not simply procedural; it shapes the final expression of the coffee. Fermentation helps loosen the remaining mucilage cleanly, while careful washing and rinsing preserve the cup’s brightness and definition. After washing, parchment is dried slowly on raised beds, where airflow, shade management and regular turning help the coffee dry evenly and steadily.

This is the first Kenyan coffee to be released from this year's new crop and one can definitely taste the vibrancy of the currants and cranberry in the cup. Coupled with a sweetness from hot to warm, it really helps to for a beautiful enjoyment of this cup.