Kenya Kamundu Estate

Natural Process / SL34 Arabica / 1950m

Kamundu Estate is a 155 hectare farm sitting at 1,950 masl in Kiambu county, just outside of Nairobi. Kiambu is famous for its large coffee estates. Originally started by British colonists in the early 20th century, these large estates have been managed by local Kenyans since decolonisation in the 1960s. Kenyan coffees are famous for their complex acidity and refined blackcurrant and citrus character and this is often accentuated by the traditional choice of washed processing. Last year we had the opportunity to buy experimental naturally processed coffee from this estate and it was a big hit both at the Mill and with our customers, many of whom fed back that it was a highlight from our 2019 single estate programme. Inevitably then we jumped at the chance of securing this lot from the 2020 harvest and it has not disappointed.

Providing great contrast with the more classic Kenya profile of our Twin Rivers AA  (also on our current list) this naturally processed coffee trades bright, fresh berries for a more candied and fun take on a fruit-forward African cup character. This coffee is super-sweet and jammy without any of the boozy ferment that can often be imparted by the process and as such definitely ticks my boxes as someone who is somewhat averse to the "funk"! I was reminded of apricot jam and red fruit pastilles when drinking this coffee which is exactly what I want from a natural coffee and although perhaps the fun/candy factor is a bit more restrained than in the 2019 edition, it's no less delicious for that. The body is creamy and the acidity, though lively and slightly tropical (think fresh passionfruit) is very much in the background thanks to the exceptional sweetness on offer. I found this coffee to be very versatile when brewing and really enjoyed every method that I tried, all the way from French Press to espresso where there fruit character even carried well through smaller milk based drinks. 

Tasting notes - Apricot jam, fruit pastilles, passionfruit, creamy

Suitable for - All brewing methods