Muhito is one of several washing station co-ops that participated in our SL variety separation project this year. In the cup we find a lovely traditional Kenyan profile of pomegranate, hibiscus, and rose. Muhito is another lot from our Retro 1984 project, with a specific focus on SL variety separations. This washing station is located in Nyeri along the Aberdare ridge, which, in our opinion, produces some of the best coffees in Kenya—and the world. Most of the lots we are working with this year come from single farms, as this approach provides the clearest path to true, traceable variety separations. That said, we were pleasantly surprised when several top-performing washing stations also expressed interest in participating. Muhito is one of those sites. This is the first year of Retro 1984—a collaborative project between Peter Mbature, Tim Hill, and SEY, born from years of conversations and a shared concern about the declining quality of Kenyan coffees. This effort is an active step toward asking better questions and conducting meaningful experiments to help revive the flavor profiles we all once knew and loved. The name Retro 1984 references the year just before the introduction of the hybrid variety Ruiru 11 in Kenya. At its core, this project is about returning to SL variety separations and exploring their full potential. We believe deeply in the future of Kenyan coffee, and this is one of the most exciting projects we have ever been a part of—driven by our enduring love for these profiles.
Hibiscus
Rose
Pomegranate
Type
Single Origin
Origin
Nyeri, Kenya
Roast
Light
Species
Arabica
Varieties
SL-28, SL-34
Process
Washed
Altitude
1760m
Farm
Muhito Washing Station