Kenya Barikongo Factory AA - Kiambu Region

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Product Details

Product: Kenya AA Kiambu Barikongo 1800m High Altitude

Flavor Notes: Raisin, plum, dark berry notes, vanilla chocolate, fresh cedar, rich body.

Country of Origin: Kenya

Region: Kiambu

Producer: Barikongo Factory

Varieties: SL28, SL34

Altitude: 1800 meters

Grade: AA Grade Kenya Washed

Harvest: N/A

Recommended Roast Level: Medium-light roast. If you want to develop more flavors and achieve better bean appearance, we suggest extending the dehydration time before the yellowing point, then increase heat after yellowing until first crack is dense, then reduce heat to develop body.

Introduction

The Barikongo Factory is located near Kiambu town, north of Kenya's capital Nairobi. This region is a very old and famous coffee-growing area that continues the coffee cultivation and production management techniques from the colonial era.

This processing station belongs to the Kiambu Cooperative Society, the largest cooperative in Kiambu town, and is one of their washing stations. The washing stations under this cooperative include: Riakahara, Barikongo, Kagwanja, Kirura, Korokoro, Githongo, Thiururi, Kaibu, New Thuita, Kanake, Gatuyu and Kamuchege - totaling 12 washing stations. Each washing station serves nearby small-scale coffee farmer members, so the washing stations are distributed throughout various corners of Kiambu town. Due to high altitude, fertile soil, and natural climate factors, this region produces high-quality coffee.

Over 55% of Kenya's coffee comes from these small-scale coffee farmers, who are organized into various tribal or village collective cooperatives. The cooperative's responsibility is to assist members through their washing stations with raw bean processing, grading, drying, and packaging, labeling production batches, and then waiting for delivery to Nairobi for weekly auctions.

The Kiambu Cooperative Society has 51,000 small-scale coffee farmer members and was established in the 1990s as a second-level cooperative composed of 22 local areas. It was established under the leadership of the Kiambu town local government as a large united main cooperative. The main work of the Kiambu town government is coffee affairs, assisting the cooperative in handling members' various matters.

The earliest introduction of coffee cultivation in Kenya was in the 1880s, led by French missionaries who planted it around Kiambu town, which is on the northern mountain foothills of the capital Nairobi, located in central Kenya. The four locations of Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Murang'a and Nyeri have the largest production in Kenya, with an output of approximately 49,000 metric tons, accounting for 70% of the country's total production. Machakos in the east ranks second, Bungoma in the west follows, with very small production in other areas, showing the importance of Kiambu town's coffee to Kenya.

In 1930, Kenya's unique varieties SL28 and SL34 were cultivated and named by the "Scott Laboratories" laboratory, born in such an excellent research environment. According to SL laboratory botanists, SL28 and SL34 are genetic variants. Among them, SL28 has mixed lineage from French missionaries, Mocha, and Yemen Typica.

The original goal of cultivating SL28 was to mass-produce coffee beans that combined high quality with resistance to diseases and pests. Although SL28's later production was not as large as expected, its copper-colored leaves and broad bean-shaped beans have wonderful sweetness, balance, and complex, varied flavors, with prominent citrus and dark plum characteristics. SL34 has similar flavors to SL28, but besides its complex, varied acidity and wonderful sweet finish, its body is heavier and richer than SL28, and cleaner. SL34 has more Typica lineage than French missionaries and Bourbon. The bean appearance is similar to SL28, but it can better adapt to sudden heavy rains. It is these two important varieties that lead us to understand the unique Kenyan style: strong, rich fruit acidity, rich body, and beautiful balance.

The raw bean processing method is mainly washed, and grading is based on bean size, with actual value determined by cupping. The highest grade coffee beans are AA grade (large beans retained on 7.2mm sieve), A grade (second-largest beans retained on 6.8mm sieve), B grade (medium beans retained on 6.2mm sieve), C grade (all small beans smaller than B grade), PB grade (elliptical beans), as well as overly light and small TT and T grade beans. A and B grade beans are mixed together for export, called AB grade. The Kenyan authorities (CBK) have very high requirements for coffee beans, using consistent packaging, plus good quality and excellent texture, so coffee lovers always remember to enjoy a cup of Kenya coffee.

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