We were first introduced to Peter Mbature and his small farm, Kamavindi Estate, in 2013 on a Kenyan sourcing trip with our good friend, Tim Hill. Peter’s grandfather planted the 7.5 Hectare farm in 1958 at a time when Indigenous peoples were only permitted to plant 100 trees in total, a miniscule amount. Fast forward to present day: Peter is now managing 10,000 trees and 7,000 of them are the heralded SL28 variety. Peter and his wife Gladys are some of the most earnest and passionate coffee farmers we have ever met, continually experimenting with new methods to improve overall quality. We jumped at the chance to work more closely with Peter in 2020, when he reached out for support in the production and trial of unique processing and rare varietals. This coffee is composed entirely of SL28 which is one of the world’s most distinctively fruity and bright coffee varieties. Most Kenyan coffees include a blend of varieties, notably SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11 and Batian, which makes this exclusive lot all the more unique and full of character. Peter also tried some unique processing on this lot. He fermented the coffee without water for 20 hours, then added water to the fermentation tank for another 22 hours before washing and drying the coffee for two to three weeks on raised African beds. As usual, Peter’s coffee is immaculately processed, crafting one of the cleanest coffees that we have ever seen. Why we love it: Here is a rare chance to taste the coveted SL28 variety from one of the most meticulous coffee producers in all of Kenya. Peter’s coffee is a true testament to what is possible when you combine world class farming and processing with a distinguished coffee variety grown on some of the most majestic coffee terroir. This coffee has the distinct black currant note which Kenyan coffee is known for, with an added floral complexity and cleanliness that takes it to the next level. It is something truly special.