Kenya Kirinyaga Kii Peaberry - October Roaster's Choice
Kenya KirinyaGa Kii - From The Slopes of Mt. Kenya
At the foot of Mt. Kenya, where volcanic soil meets cold mountain rivers, something extraordinary is happening. Grown high in Kirinyaga County and processed with the kind of care that’s made Kenya legendary among coffee drinkers, this peaberry lot from the Kii Factory isn’t just another single origin. It’s a rare, vibrant, flavor-packed coffee chosen because it checks every Roaster's Choice box: origin, story, and unforgettable taste.
Grower: 850 smallholder farmers organized around the Kii Factory
Region: Kirinyaga County, Kenya
Cultivar: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian Harvest: November - December 2024
Altitude: 1600 - 1800 masl
Process: Fully washed
Drying: Dried on raised beds
Roast Level: Medium
Roast Body: Mild
Cupping Notes: Pineapple, Orange Blossom, Mango
From Ashes Sprang Forth A Well Of Greatness
Coffee has deep roots in this corner of Kenya. When the old Ngariama Cooperative collapsed in the 1990s, 1,150 determined farmers came together to form the Rungeto Cooperative Society. They rebuilt and reopened three pre-existing factories. Today, Rungeto represents nearly 8,000 smallholder farmers, each tending rich, loamy clay soil between 1,600–1,800 meters above sea level, to produce some of the world's most sought after coffee.
Their secret weapon?
Water. The snowy peaks of Mt. Kenya feed the Kii River, which provides the crystal-clear, cold water used to wash these coffees multiple times. It’s not an exaggeration to say this level of processing is an art form. Every cherry is hand-sorted, pulped, fermented, rewashed, graded, and finally dried on raised beds under the highland sun. The result is clarity and complexity that’s unmistakably Kenyan.
The Kii Factory
Kii isn’t just a processing mill—it’s a hub of precision. Originally built in the 1960s and revived under the Rungeto Cooperative, the factory is tucked at the base of Mt. Kenya. The Kii River, the lifeblood of the coffee's washed process, rushes right by this factory, and the staff here use every drop to its full potential.
Here’s how it works: after careful hand-sorting to remove underripe cherries, the harvest is pulped and dropped into fermentation tanks. Depending on the day’s temperature, the parchment ferments for 16–18 hours, with staff checking progress every three hours.
Once ready, the parchment is washed clean in long cement channels lined with tile—a detail that helps keep the coffee pristine. During this washing, denser seeds naturally separate from the lighter ones, ensuring only the best make it through.
After grading, the parchment heads to raised drying tables, where it spends up to two weeks in the mountain sun, slowly reaching the perfect moisture level. All the while, the staff rake and turn the coffee to keep it even, protecting it from over-fermentation or damage. And because water conservation matters, the factory recycles the river water it uses—an extra step toward sustainability that also reflects Rungeto’s forward-thinking leadership.
The result? A clean, complex coffee with every step fine-tuned by experience and care. It’s no wonder Kii has built a reputation for producing some of the most consistently dazzling coffees in Kirinyaga.
What's In A Cup?
So what makes this particular lot stand out? First off, it’s a peaberry—a natural quirk where only one small, rounded seed develops inside the cherry instead of two. Coffee folks love peaberries for their concentrated flavor, and this one proves why.
Cultivated from classic Kenyan varietals (SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, and Batian) and grown at elevations perfect for slow, sugar-building maturation, this coffee is brimming with life. In the cup, expect pineapple brightness, delicate orange blossom florals, and ripe mango sweetness.
We roasted it to a medium profile with a mild body, striking the balance between showcasing the fruit-forward acidity and keeping the sweetness smooth and approachable. It’s a cup that sings—bright, juicy, and clean, with a finish that keeps you coming back for another sip.
A Coffee Worth Raving About
Kenyan coffees are known for their meticulous processing and dazzling cup profiles, but this Kii Peaberry takes it one step further. It represents resilience—farmers coming together to preserve their craft, a co-op investing in quality and sustainability, and a flavor that reflects the very landscape it’s grown in.
Roaster’s Choice is all about spotlighting coffees too unique to pass up, and this lot from Kirinyaga County is exactly that. Grab a bag while it lasts—you won’t want to miss this sip of Mt. Kenya.
How Do I Get This Coffee?
Fresh Roasted Coffee’s Roaster’s Choice program is your passport to the world’s most captivating coffees, and this month’s journey takes us to the foothills of Mt. Kenya. Our Kenya Kirinyaga Kii Peaberry is a rare and radiant cup—bright with pineapple, orange blossom, and mango, and brought to life by the meticulous work of the Rungeto Cooperative and the Kii Factory.
Handpicked at peak ripeness, fully washed with crystal-clear river water, and dried on raised beds under the highland sun, this peaberry lot is a showcase of precision and tradition. It’s proof that when smallholder farmers, rich volcanic soil, and generations of knowledge come together, the results can rival anything in the coffee world.
This is more than just a coffee. It’s a sip of Mt. Kenya itself—clean, complex, and unforgettable.
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