Kanyi Estate AB
Honeysuckle florals, with grilled pineapple, blackcurrant and sour cherry. Heavy mouthfeel with a sweet finish.
Kanyi is a small, two-hectare estate located in Embu County, owned and managed by Mukami Mugo (pictured above). The farm sits at 1,700 meters above sea level in the foothills of the extinct volcano, Mt Kenya. The area is defined by its bright red, nutrient-rich, volcanic soil and cool climate, both of which contribute to the outstanding quality of the coffees produced on this farm.
Mukami inherited Kanyi from her parents, who first purchased and planted the land with coffee in the 1960s. At the time of planting they chose the SL-28 and SL-34 varieties that are commonly found in central Kenya, specifically because they produce a high-quality flavour profile. Mukami has also planted a small amount of Ruiru 11, a hardier, hybrid that is popular among farmers for its potential for high yields and disease resistance. The varieties are harvested and processed together, as separation is challenging to achieve during the busy harvest period.
In 2000, Mukami built a small wet mill – or factory, as they are called in Kenya – on her land. This facility enables her to process and dry the crop onsite, rather than selling fresh, whole cherry to the local Farmers’ Society Cooperative. By processing the coffee independently, Mukami is able to control every step of production directly – from farming, to harvesting, processing, drying and sale – ensuring the full potential of her crop is achieved in terms of quality and sale price. The resulting coffee lots reflect the incredible amount of hard work and attention to managing every single variable that influences quality.
Choosing to process the coffee independently is not easy—or cheap. Managing processing on such a small scale has required significant investment in infrastructure, equipment and staff. It is also far costlier to mill and market small volume lots than large day lots. This investment has paid off, however, as Kanyi now produces some exceptionally high-quality lots which can fetch higher prices at the point of sale.
ABOUT EMBU
Embu County is part of Kenya’s former Eastern Province, which was dissolved in 2013. Embu borders Kirinyaga to the west, along with the country’s central coffee-growing regions. Embu is the traditional home of the Embu, Kamba and Mbeere people. This region and its surrounds are considered to be some the wealthiest areas of the country, due to the incredibly fertile land, geographical proximity to the capital, Nairobi, and close integration with the country’s colonial administration before Kenya gained independence in 1962. This integration afforded the communities who lived here with opportunities for education, business and political prowess, despite the various injustices of the colonial government. The Embu, Kamba and Mbeere people have a long and proud history of agriculture and cattle-raising, and the region is farmed intensively, with coffee, tea and dairy being the most important modern crops.
Like Mukami, many of the producers in the region are second-generation landholders, whose parents purchased and planted the land in the 1950s and 1960s, after agricultural reform allowed for small Kenyan farmers to produce cash crops on their family farms (instead of only on large, British owned estates). Farmers in Embu grow coffee as a cash crop alongside food crops like banana, maize, macadamia, avocados and vegetables. Tea and dairy are also important sources of income for the producers.
GRADING
Kenya uses a grading system for all its exportable coffee lots. The grading system is based on the size and assumed quality of the bean. A coffee’s grade is directly correlated with the price it attracts at auction or through direct trade.
This coffee is AB grade. This grade is easily defined by size (in this case, AB means that the beans are screen size 15 and above) and to a certain extent, quality. While it is assumed that AA lots represent the highest quality, we have often found AB and peaberry lots to be just as good.
HOW THIS LOT WAS PROCESSED
The coffee was carefully handpicked by the estate’s five employees, along with any seasonal workers required. During the peak of the harvest, cherries are carefully picked, to ensure only the ripest are selected. After sorting, cherry was pulped using a pulping machine, which removes the skin and fruit from the inner parchment layer that protects the green coffee bean.
The coffee was then dry fermented for 12-24 hours, to break down the sugars and remove the mucilage (sticky fruit covering) from the outside of the beans. Whilst the coffee was fermenting it was checked frequently, and when ready it was rinsed and removed from the tanks.
Using clean water from nearby rivers, the parchment-covered coffee was then washed and graded in water channels, before being transferred to raised drying tables. During the drying stage, which takes up to three weeks, the drying parchment was turned constantly to ensure it is dried evenly, until it reached 11–12% humidity. Once ready, coffee transported to the Embu County Mill to be dry milled and prepared for shipping.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Kinya is named after Mukami’s mother’s maiden name.
WHY WE LOVE IT
Coffees from Embu are recognised for their bright, juicy acidity and “classic” Kenyan flavours of blackcurrant and lime. We think this lot represents the best of Embu, with its sugary sweetness and notes of blackcurrant and sour cherry. This is our first year of purchasing Mukami’s coffee, a new relationship for MCM since Kenya’s 2023 coffee reforms. You can read more about those here, and how we are moving forward with our Kenyan sourcing program here.
