Kenya Inoi Kaguyu

Kenya Inoi Kaguyu is a specialty whole bean coffee from Kirinyaga, scored at 88.5 SCA points. In the cup it brings to mind blackberry, raspberry and blackcurrant, with a tea-like finish. We roast it light for pour-over, AeroPress and filter coffee machines.

Where Kenya Inoi Kaguyu comes from

The Kaguyu washing station sits in the foothills of Mount Kenya, just outside the town of Kerugoya. This western part of Kirinyaga borders Nyeri and has some of the most fertile soils in the country. The station belongs to the Inoi FCS (Farmers Cooperative Society), which has 650 active members, smallholders who deliver their coffee cherries for shared processing.

The coffee grows at 1,650-1,800 m a.s.l. on clay loam soil. The average annual temperature is 20.5°C and rainfall reaches 1,400 mm a year. The trees flower from February to April and the harvest runs from October to January. The station produces around 320 bags of 60 kg a year.

Washed processing at Kaguyu

Once the cherries arrive at the station, they are hand sorted. Underripe, insect-damaged and other defective cherries are removed. The cherries are then pulped and the parchment ferments overnight.

After fermentation the parchment is washed and separated into P1, P2, P3 and P light grades. Drying takes 10 to 20 days. Farmers from the cooperative take the cherry pulp back home, mix it with cow manure and use it as fertiliser on their farms.

SL28, SL34, Batian and Ruiru 11

The lot is made up of four varieties typical of Kenya. SL28 and SL34 are Kenyan classics, valued for their bright, fruity acidity. Batian and Ruiru 11 are newer varieties bred in Kenya for resistance to coffee diseases.

Tasting notes: blackberry, raspberry, blackcurrant

Dark fruit leads the cup: blackberry and blackcurrant, with a brighter raspberry note. The finish is reminiscent of tea. These are natural sensory associations that come from the origin and processing of the beans, not added flavourings.

How to brew coffee from Kenya

We roast Kenya Inoi Kaguyu light to keep the fruity character of the bean. It works best in a pour-over dripper, Chemex, AeroPress or filter coffee machine. Below is our head barista’s recipe for the Kalita Wave 155.

OUR HEAD BARISTA’S RECIPE (KALITA WAVE 155 DRIPPER)

Coffee (g)	18 g
Water (ml)	300 ml
Water temperature (°C)	92°C
Grind (Comandante)	25-27 clicks, medium (like grains of sugar)
Brew time (s)	2:30-2:50

Method

1. Get your brewing vessel (server or jug), scale, paper filter and Kalita Wave 155 dripper ready.
2. Grind 18 g of coffee.
3. Tip the coffee into the dripper and level the bed gently.
4. Pour the water in 4 stages, with even circular movements.
5. Start the timer with the first pour.

Timer (*when the pour ends)	Water per pour (g)	Total water (g)
0:00 (*15)	50	50
0:30 (*45)	100	150
1:05 (*1:20)	75	225
1:45 (*2:00)	75	300

To finish: once the water has drained through the coffee, remove the dripper, give the brew a swirl and enjoy.