Kenya Gathaithi AA (Single Origin Filter)

About This Single Origin 

Kenya Gathaithi AA (Single Origin Filter)

ROAST:  Filter Roast

PROCESS: Washed

REGION: Nyeri

ELEVATION: 1720 m.a.s.l

VARIETAL: SL28, SL34

CUP: Citrus Rind, Prune, Toffee

Gathaithi Coffee Factory is located in Nyeri County, in the Gaki location of Tetu sub-county, roughly 160 kilometres north of Nairobi. The factory sits between Mount Kenya and the Aberdare ranges, an area long recognised for producing some of Kenya’s most structured and expressive coffees.

Gathaithi Farmers’ Cooperative Society was officially registered in 2000, after previously being part of the larger Tetu Coffee Farmers Society. Today, the cooperative operates only one factory — Gathaithi Coffee Factory — and is supported by around 1,656 active smallholder members.

The surrounding farms benefit from rich red volcanic soils, cool temperatures and generous rainfall. At around 1,700–1,720 metres above sea level, this environment gives coffee a slow, steady maturation, allowing sweetness, acidity and structure to develop with clarity. Most producers cultivate small plots and deliver ripe cherries to the factory during both the main crop and fly crop seasons. The main crop typically runs from late September to mid-January and contributes the majority of annual production, while the fly crop runs from around April to July.

The varieties grown here are predominantly SL28 and SL34, which make up the vast majority of production, with smaller amounts of Ruiru 11 and Batian also present. These classic Kenyan varieties, combined with Nyeri’s elevation and soil, help create the intensity, fruit depth and clean acidity that this region is known for.

At the factory, cherries are selectively handpicked and delivered on the same day. After sorting, the coffee is pulped, fermented, washed and soaked before being dried slowly on raised beds. This traditional Kenyan washed process, especially the soaking stage, contributes to the coffee’s clarity, defined acidity and layered fruit expression.

In the cup, this lot carries the character we love from Nyeri: structured, vivid and deeply sweet. We find a citrus rind-like brightness, giving the cup a clean and slightly zesty edge, followed by a darker prune-like fruit depth. Underneath the acidity, a smooth toffee sweetness rounds the profile and gives the finish weight and balance. Gathaithi is not just bright — it has density. The cup moves from citrus clarity into dark dried fruit and caramelised sweetness, creating a Kenyan profile that feels both energetic and grounded.