Kii AA Washed

A sweet and juicy cup with aromas of apricot, cane sugar, and nougat. When sipping, we found flavors of blood orange, rooibos tea, and caramel. Candied hazelnut sweetness pairs beautifully with apricot-like acidity. It finishes with notes of dark chocolate, prune, and sandalwood.

Details

Producer: Kii Factory Farm: Smallholder Members of Rungeto Farmers Coop Society Region: Kirinyaga Altitude: 1,600-1,800 masl Varietal: SL28, SL34 Process: Washed Roast: Light-Medium Notes: Blood Orange, Rooibos, Dark Chocolate

The Story 

Rung’eto Farmers’ Cooperative Society—situated in the Central Province of Kenya in Kirinyaga County—was formed in 1997 to support the processing and marketing of specialty coffee from the local communities. The society has three factories: Kii, Karamikui, and Kiangoi.

Rung’eto has over 850 members, many of whom deliver cherry to Kii Factory. The factory itself was constructed in 1995 at the foot of Mt. Kenya. The Kii River, which runs nearby, gives the factory both its name and clean water for washing fine coffees.

The factory is majority-supported by women farmers, who each manage roughly 0.5 hectares of land and inter-crop coffee with avocados, macadamias, bananas, and subsistence crops.

Agronomists at Kii conduct regular farm visits, offering guidance on timing and application of treatments. In return, Kii receives outstanding cherries and farmers are rewarded well: Kii ranks among Kenya’s highest-paying cooperatives.

Sourced from the Kirinyaga region of Kenya, the Kii AA Washed represents the meticulous standards maintained by the Kii Factory. This lot is processed using the washed method, a technique often employed to highlight the inherent acidity and clean profile of high-grown beans. As a roaster, PT's Coffee Roasting has developed this selection to showcase a distinct interplay of blood orange, rooibos, and dark chocolate.

In the broader context of specialty coffee, washed-processed beans are frequently celebrated for their ability to articulate terroir with precision, often resulting in a vibrant, crisp cup. When evaluating these specific flavor descriptors, enthusiasts may find it helpful to reference the flavor wheel to better identify the nuanced citrus and herbal qualities present in the brew. By focusing on the intersection of regional character and careful processing, this coffee offers a clear expression of its origin’s unique agricultural identity.