AA KANGOCHO / KENYA

July 06, 2023

AA KANGOCHO / KENYA

 

Flavor Profile :
Black Currant, Stone Fruits, Jammy.

Origin: Kenya
Factory: Kangocho Factory
Cooperative: Gikanda Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS)
Producers: 132 members
Region: Nyeri > Karatina
Varietals: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, and Batian
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1600 - 1800 meters above sea level
Harvest: 2022
Note: Farmers Cooperative Society will be abbreviated as FCS.

AA Kangocho is an excellent Kenyan coffee that exudes the characteristic flavors of Kenya. It offers a rich taste of black currant and stone fruits, along with a jam-like texture and concentrated sweetness from the fruits.

This coffee is a lot made from cherries collected and processed at the Kangocho Factory, operated by the Gikanda Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS). The Kangocho Factory is located near the town of Karatina in the Nyeri region of Kenya. Coffee produced in Nyeri is highly regarded for its exceptional quality, and its beans command high prices in the market, making it undoubtedly one of Kenya's top coffee-producing regions.

The name "Kangocho" for the factory comes from the Kikuyu language and means "a place with corners." This name originates from the fact that there were significant bends and steps along the pathway from lower to higher points, leading the residents to call it the "place with corners on the hill."

The Nyeri region stretches at the foothills of Mount Kenya and is blessed with deep and fertile soils abundant in organic matter and excellent water retention capabilities. These soils have a good structure, providing coffee trees with optimal drainage and aeration. The climate is relatively cool, with ample rainfall, creating perfect conditions for coffee cultivation.

When producers arrive at the collection point, they typically spread the cherries on the floor (on a cover). They remove underripe cherries, overripe cherries, and cherries infected with CBD (a disease caused by fungi). After that, the factory manager inspects the quality before weighing the cherries. The producers receive a pre-payment as part of their compensation. Delivery information from each producer is recorded, and receipts for the pre-payment amount are issued. These serve as proof of their entitlement to payment once the coffee is sold.

After being weighed, the cherries are placed into the main cherry hopper on top of the pulper (a machine that removes the fruit from the cherries). When the pulper is activated, gravity moves the cherries through the machine. As they pass through, the cherries are separated from the pulp and water, flowing out of the disks as parchment.

The parchment can be separated by density in water. The highest density beans sink and are sent to a fermentation tank as P1 (Parchment 1). The semi-dense beans, known as P2, are sent to another fermentation tank. P3, the floating material, is considered of lower quality and is usually sent directly to drying tables.

After this, P1 coffee undergoes dry fermentation (fermentation without water) in painted concrete tanks. Typically, this fermentation process lasts 18 to 24 hours. In many factories, parchment is agitated and rinsed with water every 6 to 8 hours, followed by draining the water.

Following tank fermentation, the coffee is skin-dried on hessian mesh mats for one day. This is done to quickly remove moisture from the surface of the parchment. Afterward, the coffee is transferred to traditional drying tables, usually covered with burlap or shading nets on a wire mesh.

During the hottest times of the day, from around 12 to 2 pm and during the night, the coffee needs to be covered with plastic. Drying takes around 12 to 20 days, depending on weather conditions and rainfall. It continues until the coffee reaches the target moisture content of 11-12%. Once drying is complete, the process of husking, known as "hulling," is carried out to remove the coffee's seed coat and parchment.

 

We have uploaded a tasting video of AA Kangocho on YouTube!
You can watch it through the following link:
[AA Kangocho Tasting Video](YouTube link)

Also, you can make a purchase of AA Kangocho through the link below:
[Purchase AA Kangocho](purchase page link)

Enjoy the delicious coffee!

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