Our Head of Coffee and one of our roasters traveled to Nairobi to taste and source the best Kenyan coffees of the year. And they found this Kibisi PB batch with juicy, sweet notes of stone fruit and milk chocolate so balanced that they came up with the idea of creating a new color - blue - for the house coffee series on the Nomad menu. This Kibisi batch, like the color that represents it, is considered 100% beneficial for body and mind. What a benefit.
Kibisi Factory is owned and operated by the Kibisi Farmers' Cooperative Society (FCS). The more than 2,000 growers in the area grow SL28, SL34, Batian, K7 and Ruiru 11 varieties, and deliver ripe, red cherries to the station.
These growers mainly cultivate the SL28, SL34, Batian, K7 and Ruiru 11 varieties on small coffee farms that, on average, are smaller than 1 hectare, and are at altitudes between 1,550 and 1,620 meters above sea level. SL' varieties are cultivars originally developed by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (SAL) in the 1930s and 1940s. They soon became the trees of choice for many farmers in Kenya because of their deep root system, which allows them to maximize scarce water resources and thrive even without irrigation. They are grown with a serious focus on sustainability and following good agricultural practices, with as little environmental impact as possible. Ruiru 11 and Batian are newer varieties known for their disease resistance and high yields. Both start producing fruit after only 2 years.
In Kenya, K7 is less common in high altitude areas, but remains a popular choice in some lower altitude regions due to its good rust resistance.
Farmers receive technical agronomic support from Sucafina Kenya. They also receive soil sampling from the Kahawatu Foundation. The soil sampling program addresses a key step in farmer profitability. Lower input costs mean lower overall production costs and higher profits. Better targeted input application also translates into healthier trees and higher quality cherries. Prior to Kahawatu's soil sampling program, farmers had little access to soil testing methods. Fertilizer, when applied, was formulated according to a generalized recipe rather than one tailored specifically to the exact needs of the farm. Now, with better access to information through technology and agronomic assistance, farmers can apply the right fertilizer recipe at the right time, improving cherry yields and quality.
Process
Smallholders hand-pick and harvest only ripe cherries and deliver them to Kibisi Factory. At reception, managers supervise the process through a thorough visual selection and flotation process, accepting only dense, ripe cherries.
After reception, the cherries are pulped and fermented for approximately 12 to 16 hours. After fermentation, the coffee is washed with clean water and left to soak for 12 to 24 hours. After soaking, the parchment is placed on raised beds to dry. Workers rake the parchment frequently to ensure uniform drying. They cover the drying parchment during the hottest hours of the day, to maintain slow and even drying, and at night, to protect the parchment from moisture. The parchment drying process takes approximately 7 to 14 days.
When replicating the recipe, there are different variables that can interfere in the final result of your cup, such as the roasting date, conservation of the beans, environment, water, state of the machinery, etc. It is important to keep in mind that all these factors can influence and you may have to make small adjustments when replicating this recipe.
Recipe
17 gr dry
38 gr in liquid
26 seconds
Machine: Sage Barista Pro
Number of grinds: 13
Grinding time: 13s
Recommended mineral water: Lanjarón
TDS and extraction percentage: 9.49 / 22.10 %.
