This coffee comes from the Eastern Provence in an area called Machakos, southeast of the capital of Nairobi. 

The Muthuzuuni farmers association is made up of around 1000 farmers whose average farm size is a little over an acre. They are typically growing the SL28 variety, a varietal developed in Kenya in the 1930's by a company called Scott Labs (SL). 

SL28 is a pure arabica strain, with Bourbon genetics, that was developed for drought resistance. It is highly regarded for its great cup quality and is widely used throughout Kenya. 

In the cup, the bourbon varietal characteristics can be realized in the SL28 varietal though the big body, deep sweetness, juicy acidity and great balance. It really is a beautiful varietal, complemented perfectly by the processing style used in Kenya. 

Kenyan coffees are typically known for their great complexity, high acidity, big body and amazing sweetness. For me, great Kenyan coffees are everything a coffee should be. We've discussed why this is from a varietal standpoint but also from a processing standpoint all of these characteristics are complemented by the long, double fermentation wash process used in Kenya. With this process, coffee is harvested and pulped, it is left to ferment dry in fermentation tanks for typically 18 hours. 

After this initial fermentation the coffee is then rinsed and left to ferment underwater for another 18 hours. After this second fermentation the coffee is agitated to remove any remaining mucilage, the fermentation water is drained and the coffee is then washed with fresh water before being dried on raised beds. 

All of this, the long fermentation, the thorough washing and ideal drying conditions and processes results in very clean and complex coffees.

Although a favorite at the roastery, Kenyan coffees have always been a very hard seller for us. I think a lot of consumers have trouble with the high acidity that the origin is known for. This is a real bummer but we're continuing to push through and hopefully we can build a bigger following for these incredible coffees. 

In the roaster we approached Muthuuzini a little differently than we've been roasting Kenyan coffees in the past. We used a bit more development to highlight the sweetness in the cup and body while taming the acidity slightly. This gave us really great results this week and I am loving how the Muthuuzni is tasting. Complex, lush and clean with an incredible raw sugar/sugarcane sweetness.

Muthuuzuni AA

Sustainably sourced specialty coffee roasted in Jacksonville, Florida - the bold new city of the South.

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Muthuuzuni AA

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Muthuuzuni AA

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