Onyx Coffee Lab
Rogers, AR, USA
We visited Kenya in December of 2019, right in the swing of harvest. During our time in Kenya, we ventured upcountry to visit the many stations we purchase coffee from each year, in order to see the harvest and to meet with our partners there to plan for cupping coffees shortly after. Driving upcounty to Nyeri is stunning, the driver expertly weaves their way through the traffic of Nairobi. The city can seem like it extends forever, due to the massive amount of layered housing extending from the city center. Once Nairobi fades away, you comfortably cruise the highway north towards Nyeri. On a clear day, Mount Kenya is in full snow capped view to the left, while miles and miles of pineapples pass by your right. Once you reach the base of Mount Kenya national park, well known names of cooperatives and washing stations start to pop up. During our time, we visited many stations that we purchase from each year. Gathaithi Cooperatives Society is located as the footing of the Aberdare National Park, in a small valley. The station is surrounded by elevated drying tables, which during the harvest are heavy with parchment and coverings for rain and nightfall. Harvest is a busy time, as membership is close to 1500, and production can be upwards of 100,000 kgs. They expertly process this coffee, managed by a board of directors comprised of the farmers themselves. Permanent employment is available through the cooperative, where they provide support year round to farmers. Gathaithi is a world famous name in Kenyan coffee, due to the quality of each lot they produce. We were blown away by this outturn on the table at Dormans, and we purchased this entire outturn of AA.
Tamarind
Honey
Apple/Pear
Honeydew
Type
Single Origin
Origin
Nyeri, Kenya
Species
Arabica
Varieties
SL-28, SL-34
Process
Washed
Altitude
1700m
Producer
Gathaithi Cooperatives Society