KANDA, KANDA, KANDA
Our Kenyan coffee for 2018 has just arrived and, as usual, we’ve got an extensive and exciting line-up that we will be sharing with you all. When asked, “Where are your favorite coffees from?”, I generally pause. This is a very tough question as we partner with producers all over the world who deliver the most expressive forms of coffee from their land. Depending on the day, the hour, or even the moment, the answer to that question could shift. However, I cannot deny that the very finest coffees from Kenya always sweep me off my feet.
Kenya has built a one-of-a-kind reputation by creating a demand for their stunning coffee. Aside from great growing conditions, Kenya is home to the SL-28 and SL-34 varieties, Bourbon derivatives that express intense levels of sweetness, acidity, and complexity. The finest producers are true craftsman. With thoughtful extended fermentations and the most thorough washing and drying that can be found in the world, the coffees we are sharing with you this season are beautifully transparent. This transparency makes way for the gorgeous terroir and flavor from the varieties to be the star of the show. Expect these coffees to be very colorful with lots of structure and dripping with lingering sweetness.
The first of our six offerings from Kenya this year is Kanda. This is our 3rd straight season working with Amos Ndatakiura who runs the small estate in Kirinyaga next to Mount Kenya. His home and coffee sit in the middle of the 5 acre estate surrounded by SL-28 coffee trees where he and his family grow and process the coffee themselves. The Ndatakiura family has over 50 years of experience working in coffee and it shines through in this vibrant, deeply sweet coffee with notes of grapefruit, plum, and honey. It’s seldom in East Africa that you get to taste such specific terroir and variety that showcase the work of one individual. This coffee, grown and processed on the Ndatakiura estate, offers this opportunity. Filled with life, this refreshing coffee is like drinking a mimosa. We only have 700 pounds of Kanda and expect it to only be around for 2-3 weeks until our next release from Kenya.
