Kenya - Karatu SL-28

In Kiambu, just north of Nairobi, mornings are cool and coffee grows slowly on small plots, usually 1–2 hectares, managed by farmers who know how to do this. This community is Gitwe Farmer Cooperative Society. Red volcanic soil, high elevation around 1850 to 1883 meters, and conditions that slow things down in the right way.

This lot is 100% SL28, which is a bit unusual these days for Kenya. Most coffees here are blended at the farm level SL28 mixed with SL34 or newer varieties like Ruiru 11 or Batian, mainly for yield and resilience. Separating out a full SL28 lot takes more time. It’s lower yielding, more delicate, but known for its structure and acidity when it’s grown well at altitude.

At Karatu Coffee Factory, just outside Gatundu, they’ve been doing this since 1965. Eleven acres, serving four villages, Karatu, Gitwe, Kibiru, and Kigaa. Coffee grows alongside banana and maize, with grevillea and macadamia trees for shade. It’s all part of the same system.

Cherries are handpicked, focusing on ripeness. At the factory, everything is weighed and recorded before processing starts. Then it moves through depulping and into fermentation, about 72 hours, done in stages. Managed carefully to bring out clarity and structure.

After that, it’s washed and laid out on raised beds. Drying takes 7 to 15 days, depending on the weather. The pace follows the conditions.

There’s attention to the bigger picture too.  Wastewater is handled with care, and farmers are encouraged to maintain tree cover for shade and long-term stability.  It’s a coffee shaped by the consistency of people making the same careful decisions, over and over again.

What emerges reflects all of this attention to detail. Altitude gives slow flavor development. SL28 brings structure and acidity. Process brings it all together in the cup clarity.