Kii, Kenya — September 2023

SEPTEMBER SUBSCRIPTION

Hello!

Sorry for the late email, I hope you have been enjoying this month's coffee:

Kii, Kenya

It is the fourth year we have bought this coffee. When it comes to the end of the Kenyan coffee harvest, we get to sample a lot of different selections from this cooperative. Each year we are really stoked with the continuously high quality they produce, even in the years when Kenyan coffee has had its struggles.

Kenyan coffee has an overarching flavour profile of dark berries, big acidity, and a big body, usually paired with a pretty big sweetness. There are always nuances to that stereotype and the differing grades from the cooperatives somewhat amplify those characteristics as the quality goes higher.

Some traits make Kii extra special. It has a somewhat fermented, wine-like depth to its acidity, making the structure between the acidity and the sweetness so harmonious. Every washing station cooperative has different procedures, due to design, location or general techniques. The coffee at the Kii washing station likely has a stage where the coffee is left a bit longer to allow these types of flavours to develop. We have seen this consistency of character since we first started buying Kii four years ago. It is a fun thing to notice over the years that this flavour profile is almost unique to them, a nice little flair that makes Kii always taste a little different from our other Kenyan coffees.

Thanks!

Ben