Kenya Kioru

Origin: Murang'a, Kenya
Farm: Kioru
Process: Natural
Varietal: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian
Tasting Notes: Black Grapes, Prunes, Molasses
Espresso Roast, available as 200g, 500g and 1kg

Kioru sits at around 1,632 masl in Kandara, Murang'a County, on the bright red soils Kenya's central highlands are known for. It's a 25-hectare farm with its own processing, owned by the Kioru Farmers' Cooperative Society, which broke away from a bigger co-op in 1999 to do things its own way. The name comes from a nearby village and, oddly, means "bad" in Kikuyu. The coffee didn't get the memo.

Kenya made its name on washed coffee: blackcurrant, sharp acidity, crystal-clean cups. This is a natural, dried whole in the cherry, and we've roasted it for espresso. The fruit goes dark and heavy instead of bright. Black grapes up front, prunes through the middle, and a thick molasses sweetness that hangs around on the finish.

Pull it straight for a dense, syrupy shot. In milk the molasses carries through and the dark fruit stays with it.

Roasted fresh in Singapore.