Skip to main content

Kenyan Kaganda


Cupping Notes:

FLAVORDark Chocolate, Caramel, Papaya, Green Apple, Black Tea
BODYHeavy
ACIDITYBright

Farm Notes:

GEOGRAPHYRegion Murang’a County, Kiharu division
ALTITUDE1750-1850 MASL
PRODUCERKaganda FCS, Kaganda Factory
VARIETYSL 34 , SL 28, Ruiru 11
PROCESSINGWashed

Murang’a County, in central Kenya, where Kaganda Factory is based, relies heavily on agriculture for both economic activity and daily sustenance. The main products produced here are coffee, tea, milk, fish, honey, maize, and beans. The factory, founded in 1970, is part of the Kaganda Farmers’ Cooperative Society and serves 1,100 members across the Gathiru, Gathaithi, Gathambara, Gatuongo, and Kagaa villages.

Kenyan green coffee beans are renowned for their bold, fruit-forward flavors and complex acidity. This coffee was grown in red volcanic soil at 1,750 to 1,850 masl, slowly ripening at high altitudes in cool temperatures. The dominant varieties are Kenya’s signature SL-28 and SL-34.  Both were developed by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (hence, SL) in the 1930s for their drought resistance, exceptional cup quality, and high yield at elevated altitudes. Following a coffee berry disease (CBD) epidemic in 1968, the CBD-resistant Ruiru-11 varietal was introduced and quickly adopted nationwide.