Overview of Kenya's EMBU Region - Embu Coffee Altitude Processing Factory Moreya AA

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Kenya: Africa's Premium Coffee Region

Kenya is one of Africa's coffee-producing regions and also a world-renowned coffee-producing area, famous for its bright, berry-like and red wine-like acidity. Although Kenya borders Ethiopia, where coffee originated, FrontStreet Coffee was surprised to find that Kenya's coffee cultivation history is not as long as one might expect. Despite its relatively short history of coffee cultivation, the quality is exceptionally good.

Kenya Embu Region

EMBU: This region, located near Mount Kenya, derives its name from Embu town. Approximately 70% of the local population is engaged in small-scale agriculture, with tea and coffee being the most popular cash crops in the area. Almost all coffee comes from small-scale farmers, making the production volume in this region relatively small.

Coffee Producing Region

The Murua Factory (cooperative) is affiliated with the Gondori FCS cooperative and is located in the Embu County coffee-producing region of Kenya, at an altitude of approximately 1,690-1,750 meters. The cooperative has about 1,080 members.

The Murua Cooperative primarily sources coffee cherries from four villages: Kirigi, Kiini, Mukangu, and Kathangari. The processing station requires its members to cultivate coffee year-round and prohibits switching to other crops. Almost all members accept the cooperative's policies and show high commitment to the organization.

Each farmer in the cooperative grows an average of about 350 coffee trees, covering an area of approximately 1 hectare, while also cultivating other cash crops including passion fruit, bananas, cabbage, carrots, and tea.

During the peak season, the Murua Factory employs three management personnel and thirty temporary workers to handle the busy harvesting and processing period.

Processing Method

The Murua Factory has nine wastewater pits for collecting and treating wastewater generated during washing and fermentation processes, situated away from rivers to prevent pollution.

After harvesting, ripe cherries are centrally sent to the receiving area of the processing station, where mature cherries are first soaked and sorted to separate unripe fruits and impurities. Then, they undergo processing to remove the peel and pulp - this is the famous Kenyan wet processing method in this region. The wastewater generated during the entire process is first placed in soaking pits, then recycled and reused.

The Murua Factory features multiple monitoring and processing stages. For example, separating the peel and initial removal of the mucilage layer is done using a depulping machine with three sets of discs, designed to remove the outer peel of coffee cherries and the pulp outside the hard shell.

After completing pulp removal, the coffee undergoes overnight fermentation to break down sugars and the mucilage layer. Then, depending on whether the removal is complete, a washing process is performed, followed by soaking, another wash, and finally spreading the coffee evenly on raised drying beds. The entire process takes approximately 48-72 hours.

The drying time on the drying beds depends on conditions such as climate, ambient temperature, and processing volume, totaling about 15 days.

Coffee Varieties

The coffee varieties of the Kenya Murua Factory washed AA are SL28 and SL34, and the classic flavor profile of Kenyan coffee is inseparable from these two coffee varieties.

SL represents Scott Labs (Scott Laboratories). In the 1930s, Scott Laboratories was commissioned by the Kenyan government to conduct research on coffee breeding and classification, attempting to find varieties that could adapt to Kenya's terroir, be suitable for large-scale cultivation, and possess commercial value.

This organization was active from the 1930s to the 1960s and has now been renamed to "Kenya National Agricultural Laboratories," abbreviated as "NARL."

SL-28 and SL-34 are two of many research outcomes. SL34 and SL28 share similar flavors with complex, varied acidity and wonderful sweet aftertaste.

Among them, SL34 has a heavier and richer mouthfeel than SL28, and is also cleaner. SL34 has French Mission, Bourbon, and more Typica bloodlines. The coffee beans' appearance is similar to SL28, but it adapts better to sudden heavy rains.

Roasting Profile

Agtron bean color value is 62.9, with core color value of 79

Cupping Notes

Kenya Murua Factory Washed AA

Coffee Region: Embu Region

Altitude: 1,700 meters

Coffee Varieties: SL28 and SL34

Processing Method: Washed

Grade: AA

Harvest Year: 2019

Brewing Parameters

Coffee grounds: 15 grams | Ratio: 1:15 | Water temperature: 90°C | Grind size: 80% pass-through rate with 0.85mm sieve | Dripper: Hario V60 #01

Brewing Process

First pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, second pour inject 95g of water (scale shows 125g), completed in about 1 minute, third pour inject 100g of water (scale shows 225g), completed in about 1 minute 30 seconds

Extraction Time

2 minutes, remove the dripper to complete brewing

Flavor Description

Citrus, dark plum, berries, honey, almond, smooth, moderate body, medium aftertaste.

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