{"product_id":"kenya-gikirima","title":"Kenya AB Gikirima","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thecoffeeride.com\/collections\/coffee-subscriptions\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003eSUBSCRIBE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e TODAY!  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSave up to $3 per bag.\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"text-align: center; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eTasting Notes: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003ePeach, Apricot, Black Tea, Green Apple, Honey\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoast:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eLight\/Medium\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVarietal: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eSL 34 , SL 28\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProcess: \u003c\/strong\u003eWashed\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKibugu Farmers Cooperative Society | Embu County\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGikirima Factory is one of five wet mills operated by the Kibugu Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS) in Embu County, on the southeastern slopes of Mount Kenya. Located near Gicherori in Manyatta Division, the factory serves smallholder farmers cultivating coffee at high elevations of 1,800–1,900 meters above sea level.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKibugu FCS represents not only Gikirima, but also the Gicherori, Kathakwa, Ndunduri, and Ngerwe factories. The cooperative’s business affairs are managed by an elected board and a professional team oversees daily operations. Seasonal labor expands during peak harvest, reflecting the cooperative’s role as both an economic and community hub.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Environment\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe farmers supplying Gikirima with coffee benefit from an exceptional terroir. The region’s rich volcanic soils provide excellent nutrient density and drainage, supporting slow cherry maturation and high cup complexity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnnual rainfall averages around 2,000 mm, distributed across bimodal rainy seasons, which ensures consistent flowering and fruit development. The combination of high altitude, ample rainfall, and moderate temperatures allows cherries to ripen slowly, building the bright acidity and layered sweetness Kenya is known for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eVarieties\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFarmers that provide coffee to Gikirima predominantly grow SL28 and SL34, two of Kenya’s most celebrated varieties. These cultivars are prized for their resilience in high elevations and their ability to express complex acidity, intense fruit character, and structured sweetness in the cup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHarvest \u0026amp; Seasonality\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cooperative follows Kenya’s dual harvest cycle. The Main crop is in October–December and the Fly\/early crop is in April–July (smaller volumes). Cherries are selectively handpicked at peak ripeness, ensuring only dense, fully mature fruit enters the processing stream.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWet Milling \u0026amp; Processing\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt Gikirima, meticulous washed processing is central to quality. Processing begins with cherries being floated and hand-sorted to remove underripe or defective fruit. Clean river water feeds the pulpers, where the outer fruit is removed. Floating beans are removed while denser cherries continue forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce sorted, beans are fermented overnight to break down mucilage. The coffee is repeatedly moved through channels, where density sorting further refines quality - heavier beans move slowly, separating from lower-density lots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGikirima also takes good care to ensure that all wastewater is treated in soak pits to prevent contamination of local waterways\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter washing, parchment coffee is sun-dried on raised beds, carefully monitored and covered during rain or intense sun, until reaching an optimal 10–12% moisture. This traditional Kenyan washed process enhances clarity, acidity, and structure in the final cup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKenya Green Coffee Beans\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKenya and Ethiopia may share a border, but their coffee industries have followed vastly different paths since the beginning. While coffee is native to Ethiopia, it wasn’t introduced to Kenya until 1893, when French missionaries planted the first trees in the Taita Hills.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor over a century, Kenya’s coffee could only be traded through a government-run auction system—one of the world's most transparent, designed to reward quality with higher prices. This system cemented Kenya’s reputation for consistently producing quality coffee. Since 2006, new legislation has allowed direct trade between farmers and international buyers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough Kenya’s coffee production declined in 2023\/2024 due to disruptions from government reforms and the adoption of a new payment system, the outlook for this season is promising as operations stabilize and the industry adapts.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Coffee Ride Coffee Roasting Co.","offers":[{"title":"12oz","offer_id":50581317714213,"sku":"","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5LB (13% savings)","offer_id":50581317746981,"sku":"","price":140.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2LB (10% savings)","offer_id":54052231512357,"sku":null,"price":57.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1412\/3456\/files\/kenyagikirima.jpg?v=1791923106","url":"https:\/\/thecoffeeride.com\/products\/kenya-gikirima","provider":"The Coffee Ride Coffee Roasting Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}