Karuthi AB, Kenya | Washed

Nyeri County features cool temperatures and fertile central highlands. It lies between the eastern base of the Aberdare (Nyandarua) Range, part of the eastern end of the Great Rift Valley, and the western slopes of Mt. Kenya. Nyeri town, the county headquarters, serves as a destination for visitors to Aberdare National Park and Mt. Kenya. The region's fertile soil, seasonal rainfall, and high altitude create an ideal climate for coffee cultivation. This environment produces coffees with high acidity, full body, and ripe fruit flavors. The cool nighttime temperatures at high altitudes cause the coffee beans to develop slowly, resulting in dense, hard beans with high acidity and complexity.

Built in the 1980s between the Rwarai and Chinga rivers, Karuthi is one of the younger factories in Othaya, and its production volume is typically lower than most of the other neighbouring factories. This lower quantity of cherry makes quality control a bit easier during the peak of the harvest.

To produce this lot, the ~400 farmer members of the co-operative will contribute their coffee. It will then be pulped, before allowing them to ferment for 12-48 hours depending on the weather, then they will be washed to remove the last of the mucilage. After this, the beans are dried on raised African beds over the course of 2-3 weeks until the moisture level is about 12%. The co-op has a dry mill where the beans are rested in parchment for 3 weeks before hulling, cleaning and grading by size.