This lot of AA grade selection is from the Gichathaini wet mill in Nyeri. The washing station (called a "Factory" in Kenya) is one third of the Gikanga Farmer's Cooperative Society, the other two being Kangocho and Ndaroini (the name "Gikanda" is actually made up of the first letters of the three factory names: GIchathaini + KAngocho + NDAroini). They have been an outstanding cooperative for years, and we used to see their coffee with some regularity, but the group we work with in Nyeri hasn't had any offers to show us for a few years. We actually had the opportunity to visit a few years back and hope to again soon. Like most of the region, the farmer members of Gichathaini work very small plots of land. Many have less than one hectare of land, and the preferred cultivars are SL-28, and SL-34 bourbon selections, known for good cup quality, especially when growing conditions are favorable. This region has very good altitude, starting at 1900 meters above sea level, and topping out around 2000 meters.
The dry fragrance has a dark and complex sweetness, and clearly fruited aromatics, with suggestions of stone fruits and green melon, and sweet cane sugar syrup underneath. The wet aroma produces more complex sugar smells than fruit, a caramelized sugar sweetness smells potent, vanilla laced in, with hints of apricot, black tea, and sweet spice. The cup has impressive body and sweetness, fruit nectar-like in feel, which highlights some of the fruit flavors found in the cup. Light roasts showed the most cup complexity, and fairly well integrated into the underlying sweetness when brewed. Unrefined sugar notes were the first flavors I picked up on in the hot cup, caramel, raw sugars with molasses. Gichathaini cools to citrus accent notes, though not too stark or grabby. Flavors hint at tangerine, and lemonade sweetened with brown sugar, along with accents of stone fruit, melon, vanilla, and ending in a very sweet finish. The cup aroma shows delicate aspects of fruit blossoms with a light accent of lemon. The acidity is moderate and lemony at first, shifting to juicy apricot, with a bit of tannic black tea in the aftertaste.
