This coffee has a vibrant and exotic profile, with notes of yuzu, yellow kiwi, and dried apricots that define a fresh and very expressive cup. The acidity is juicy, the body creamy, and it has a long and very pleasant aftertaste. As the cup evolves, floral and fruity nuances such as pink melon, Tangerine papaya appear, adding great complexity.
Washed Mathare-ini station is located in Murang'a County, north of Nairobi, on the fertile slopes of the Aberdare Mountains. It is part of the Thanga-ini Farmers Cooperative Society, which brings together more than 900 smallholder farmers growing traditional Kenyan varieties such as SL-28 and SL-34, along with newer hybrids such as Batian and Ruiru-11.
Each farmer manages small plots of between 200 and 300 trees, grown in rich volcanic soils and under a temperate climate that favors slow ripening of the fruit. The ripe cherries are delivered in season, where they are pulped, fermented and carefully washed before being dried on raised beds, following the classic Kenyan method that gives rise to clean, bright and complex cups.
The cooperative's commitment to technical training and process consistency has allowed Mathare-ini to maintain a solid reputation among Central Region coffees. This lot reflects the balance and precision that have made Kenya one of the most admired origins in the specialty coffee world.
Process
The ripe cherries are hand-picked by the growers and delivered the same day to the Washed Mathare-ini station. There, a first visual selection is made to eliminate unripe or damaged cherries before pulping. The coffee is fermented in tanks of clean water for 12 to 24 hours, depending on climatic conditions, to decompose the mucilage in a controlled manner.
Once fermentation is complete, the beans are thoroughly washed in sorting channels, where they are separated by density, and then immersed in fresh water for an additional 24 hours to stabilize the beans and improve their clarity in the cup.
Drying is carried out on raised beds for a period of 7 to 15 days, with regular turning to ensure uniform drying and prevent defects. Once the ideal humidity has been reached, the coffee is left to rest on parchment before being threshed and prepared for export.
When replicating the recipe, there are different variables that can interfere with the final result of your cup, such as the roasting date, bean storage, environment, water, etc. It is important to bear in mind that all these factors can influence the result and that you may have to make small adjustments when replicating this recipe.
Method: Aeropress
Grinder: Fellow Opues number 6II
Recommended mineral water: Lanjarón
We used 15.5 grams of coffee per 230 grams of water at a temperature of 96º C.
We added the water in two pours. First pour 50 g, wait 35 seconds, then pour the rest of the water until reaching 230 g. The total infusion time should be 1:55 minutes, achieving a TDS of 1.33% and an extraction percentage of 19.77% with this recipe.
