FACTORY DETAIL

The Kiunyu factory lies within the region of Kirinyaga, and is an up-and-coming coffee producing region within Kenya. Due to the traditions and political involvement within Kenyan coffee production it is extremely difficult to work outside of the auction and co-op systems. We have seen a changing of the Kenyan flavor profile over the last few years, which we believe might be due to either an increase of hybrid-type varieties and/or a change in the fermentation processes. We will be making our first trip to Kenya this winter and hope to return home with a broad understanding of the current state of Kenyan coffee, its future outlook, and what factors are driving the changes we are seeing.

ABOUT SL34 & RUIRU 11

SL34 has a Typica-like genetic background. SL34 was selected from a single tree on the Loresho Estate in Kabete, Kenya by Scott Agriculture Laboratories in the 1930's. SL34 is not a hybrid and is very susceptible to disease. Ruiru 11 is a Catimor hybrid that owes its existence to a coffee berry disease epidemic in 1968 that lead to the loss of 50% of Kenya’s production. The crisis sparked action. In the 1970s, the coffee research station at Ruiru—which gives Ruiru 11 its name—began an intensive breeding program of varieties that are immune to coffee berry disease. This led to the development of Ruiru 11, which was released in 1985.