Hand-picked at 1,800 metres in the Central Province, around Mount Kenya, on well-drained red volcanic soils rich in phosphate.
65% of Kenyan production comes from small plantations of less than 4.5 hectares, organised into cooperatives for wet processing and marketing. Only ripe cherries are hand-picked, in 7 different passes. Crops are grown along contour lines or on stepped terraces on steep slopes, rarely under shade, except in some places to protect against hail and wind. Coffee accounts for 50% of agricultural exports; arabica makes up 99.09% of production!
A very floral coffee with a very tangy taste; the very high-speed roasting used by industrial roasters raises acidity to an excessive level, which explains why some roasters looking for softer coffees have dropped this origin. Kenya is the country that has developed the most sophisticated methods in the world for the production, processing and marketing of coffee: quality, light taxation, cooperation between the private sector and the administration, and a certain liberalism!
