🍒 Red Currant • 🍊 Kumquat • 🍑 Yellow Peach

Intro

A Kenyan coffee with a twist. Kenya is famous for intense, washed SL28 and SL34 — but this lot from Ngacha Estate in Kirinyaga is a Yellow Honey, a process that's rare for the country. The result keeps Kenya's signature brightness while adding a rounder, juicier sweetness. Elegant, balanced and scored 88 points.

Details

The Producer

Ngacha Estate is a family farm on the slopes of the Kirinyaga highlands, with a history going back to 1954. Today it's run by Martin Muriuki, the second generation of the family, who continues his father's work with Kenya's benchmark varieties while experimenting with different post-harvest methods.

SL28 and SL34 were developed in Kenya in the 1930s and are behind much of the country's reputation — think vivid acidity, blackcurrant and bright citrus.

The Process

This lot is Yellow Honey processed:

• 🍒 Selective picking — Ripe SL28 and SL34 cherries are harvested by hand
• 🔧 Pulping — The skin is removed, but part of the sticky mucilage is left on the bean
• ☀️ Drying with mucilage — The remaining fruit sugars dry onto the bean, adding sweetness and body

"Yellow" refers to a lighter mucilage coating and faster drying than red or black honey — keeping the cup clean while adding a gentle layer of sweetness.

The Cup

The cup doesn't overplay the fruit — it's composed and precise. It opens with bright red currant, then shifts to the zesty, delicate citrus of kumquat, before juicy yellow peach brings sweetness to the finish. Medium acidity, delicate body, and a beautifully balanced, elegant cup overall.

Flavour Notes

🍒 Red Currant 🍊 Kumquat 🍑 Yellow Peach Medium Acidity Delicate Body