The farmers from Karatina in the Nyeri region cultivate around 200 coffee plants each and deliver their harvested cherry to the local washing station, Kieni Factory. The varieties grown in Karatina are predominantly SL28 and SL34 with smaller portions of Batian and Ruiru 11. Once the cherry is received at Kieni, they hand sort the intake and any damaged, overripe or underripe cherry is removed before pulping. Fermentation is between 16 to 24 hours before being washed through grading channels with clean water to remove any remaining mucilage. The wet parchment is soaked for a further 24 hours before it is moved to raised drying beds, where it is turned regularly to ensure an even result. The lots produced in this region are renowned for their exceptional cup quality and the purity of fruit in this AA lot we absolutely love.
