Despite its proximity to Ethiopia, coffee was not cultivated in Kenya until 1893, when the "Holy Spirit Fathers" (French Catholic missionaries) introduced coffee trees from Reunion Island and planted them near Mombasa.
In 1896, the first plantations were introduced in the Kiambu district, a very fertile area, which by 1912 already had large plantations of several hectares of expansion, where the Bourbon and Mokka varieties were mostly cultivated.
After Kenya's independence from the British Empire in 1963, the extensive experience and vast knowledge gained about coffee production were readily adopted by local small coffee farmers, resulting in the high quality standards for which Kenyan coffee is known worldwide today.
There are two varieties that particularly attract the majority interest of the specialty coffee industry, these are SL28 and SL34.
Scott Laboratories were contracted to develop new cultivars between 1934 and 1963. The development of the SL cultivars was based on the Mokka and Bourbon varieties, which were brought to Kenya by Scottish and French missionaries from Yemen and Reunion Island respectively.
Today, these two varieties are responsible for most of the quality coffee that Kenya produces, but they are susceptible to coffee rust.
THE STATION
Wamuguma is a washing station or factory (as they are commonly called in Kenya), located in the town of Gatundu, in the far north of Kiambu County, near the border where Muranga County begins. Kiambu coffees are our favorites in Kenya, although they are not as "famous" as those from Nyeri or Kirinyaga, but they always stand out with intensely sweet profiles, complex phosphoric acidity, and floral notes, especially reminiscent of the flavor of tree tomato.
Wamuguma's altitude ranges from 1600 to 1800 meters above sea level and enjoys an average annual rainfall of 1098 mm. Bimodal rainfall patterns result in two wet seasons per year (and therefore two flowering and two harvest periods). The main harvest extends from November to January. This area is characterized by its red clay soil, rich in nutrients and organic matter.
The Wamuguma washing stations, along with Handege, form the Ritho FCS (Coffee Growers Cooperative Society). This cooperative was founded in 1972 and currently has 2,548 active members who produce a total of 43,038 kg of green coffee annually across 499 hectares.
THE GRAINS
Producer: Wamuguma Car Wash StationOrigin: Kiambu
Process: Washing
Variety: SL 28, SL 34
Altitude: 1,820 meters above sea level
Tasting notes: A very complex coffee with sweet floral notes. Fruity on the palate, reminiscent of plum, red grape, and orange.
THE IMPORTER
Kilimanjaro Specialty Coffees is an importing company focused on high-quality green coffee. Roberto regularly travels to the origin to select outstanding lots, carefully produced by some of the best smallholder coffee cooperatives in Africa and Indonesia.
THE RECIPE
We offer these guidelines to help you develop a recipe, but keep in mind that it may change depending on the equipment you use, the mill, and the water.*
I N 20 grams of coffee
OUT 300 ml in a cup
No. of pours 5 -> 40 ml, 80 ml, 60 ml, 60 ml, 60 ml
Time between vertigo 40 seconds.
Water temperature 92ºC
