Kenya, Nyeri Hill Estate

Whole Bean Coffee 

Kenya, SL28, SL34 and Riuru 11

Process: Fully Washed

Elevation: 1,500 MASL

We taste: grapefruit, tangerine, cherry tomato

Nyeri Hill includes 1,415 total hectares, 344 of which are devoted to coffee cultivation. Here, 300 total employees harvest three main varietals: SL28, SL34 and Riuru 11. According to World Coffee Research, the SL28 varietal tends to be drought tolerant and high in potential for cup quality. SL28 and SL34 are unique in that they were both selected from single trees in Kenya, but these varieties are also susceptible to common coffee diseases. In contrast, Riuru 11, which makes up over 18 percent of the estate's total production, is a varietal known for its resistance to coffee leaf rust and coffee berry disease. As World Coffee Research explains, this dwarf hybrid varietal "owes its existence to a coffee berry disease (CBD) epidemic in 1968 that lead to the loss of 50% of Kenya’s production." While each varietal's susceptibility to disease may vary, the potential for excellence in cup quality remains constant.