KII AA

Bright, full of berries, with clean sweet character: Kii AA is a superb example of the Kirinyaga terroir. Expect cranberry, blackcurrant, apricot, and delicious aromatic sweetness. The texture is distinctly Kenya, a result of classic washed processing, while lasting syrupy sweetness brings balance to bright fruit notes.

Kii Factory is one of three owned and operated by Rungeto Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS) with over 850 members. Members receive agricultural support from the cooperative, while quality control undertaken at the mill ensures coffee of the highest quality.

The mill itself was constructed in 1995, nestled at the foot of Mount Kenya. The Kii River, which runs nearby, gives the factory both its name and clean water for the classic washed processing method used in Kenya.

Smallholders selectively handpick only ripe coffee cherries and deliver them to the Kii Factory. On arrival, the ‘Cherry Clerk’ oversees meticulous visual sorting, accepting only dense, ripe coffee. In recent years, great efforts have been made to improve and ensure coffee quality from Kii - the results can be seen in this sweet, clean lot.

After intake, cherry is pulped and fermented for approximately 16-24 hours, depending on ambient temperature at the time. Following fermentation, coffee is washed in clean water from the Kii River and soaked for 12 hours. Newly installed tiles in the washing channels help preserve coffee and water quality, and all water used in processing is also cleaned by filtering in earthen pits before being reintroduced to local waterways.

After washing and grading, parchment is laid to dry on raised beds. Workers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. They cover drying parchment during the hottest time of day, to maintain slow, even drying and at night, to shelter parchment from moisture. It takes approximately 14 days for parchment to dry.