Gura, Kenya

Description

TASTING NOTES

lime, herbs, honey, jasmine, green tea

COFFEE BACKGROUND

About 150 kilometers north of Nairobi, between Mount Kenya and the Aberdare mountain range, the Gura River runs through Nyeri County. There, members of the Othaya Farmers Co-operative Society grow coffee on the steep, volcanic mountain slopes. The region boasts phosphorus-rich and well-drained volcanic soil, high elevation, consistent climate, and cool nighttime temperatures. The dense coffee cherries that grow in this terroir develop a very complex, vibrant acidity.

The Gura Factory serves about 500 smallholders. The farmers deliver freshly harvested ripe coffee cherries to the factory; on average, each producer brings enough fruit for around 4 bags of exportable green coffee. Factory workers sort the cherries into lots based on size and quality. Then, using fresh Gura River water, they pulp the cherries and ferment the seeds for around 15 hours. Finally, they wash away any remaining mucilage before soaking the clean seeds in a fresh water bath for an additional 16 hours.

After all this washing, factory workers grade the seeds by density before spreading them on drying tables. The seeds slowly dry over a period of 2–3 weeks, until the moisture content reduces to 10–12%. Finally, they deliver the coffee to the Othaya Coffee Mill, also managed by the Society, which prepares the lot for export. This well-washed process is common in Kenya, where fresh river water is readily accessible. It contributes to the lovely, bright, and citrusy qualities that we love in Kenyan specialty coffee.

OTHAYA FARMERS CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY

The Othaya Society was founded in 1956 with an initial membership of 250. Today, its membership comprises more than 11,000 smallholder farmers throughout the southern Nyeri region. The Society manages 17 factories (wet mills), a dry mill, and nurseries for coffee seedlings. They also offer Farmer Field Schools — educational programs in which trained facilitators regularly hold seminars tailored to the members’ specific growing regions. Cooperatives like this are organized democratically: members vote on representation, marketing, milling contracts, and profit allocation for their coffees. The Society also practices an ethos of “community social responsibility”. They support needy community members, work on local infrastructure projects, and hold free medical screening camps in partnership with an area hospital.