MUTHONJO, WILD AND WISE

When asked, “Where do your favorite coffees come from?” I never leave Kenya off the top of the list. The finest coffees from Kenya boast an intense combination of bright acidity, thick juicy sweetness, and deep lingering complexity. Whether you love these coffees or not, there is no denying that these are consistently the most flavorful coffees on the planet.

Of the brilliant producers from Kenya, Muthonjo is a wild one that makes a splash in a sea of flavorful coffee. Muthonjo is a family owned estate located in the lush, rich soil of the Kirinyaga region in the Central Province. It’s a mixed variety coffee of SL 28, SL 34, and Ruiru 11 that grows at 1650 meters above sea level. For years, I’ve personally admired this coffee every time I got the chance to taste it, but the coffee was always sold out.

This year was the first time we got the opportunity to purchase a small lot from Muthonjo. In the cup Muthonjo is a powerful, deep coffee layered in ripe cherry sweetness, and lingering savory, mineral complexity. This is a wild and wise coffee that for me can best be described as sharing a glass of Cru Burgundy with a good friend.