Kenya - Mutitu AA - Washed

🏞️ Region and terroir

Kenya Mutitu Washed coffee comes from the Kirinyaga County region, located on the southern slopes of the majestic Mount Kenya, the second-highest mountain in Africa. This area, along with Nyeri, is considered one of the best locations for growing specialty coffee in Kenya.

Coffee trees here grow at altitudes of 1,600 to 1,800 meters above sea level, where warm sunny days alternate with cool nights. Thanks to this natural temperature difference, coffee cherries ripen slowly and evenly, promoting the development of dense beans with a high concentration of sugars and aromatic compounds.

The region's great advantages are deep red volcanic soils rich in minerals, regular rainfall, and abundant clean mountain water flowing from Mount Kenya National Park. These conditions give rise to coffees with distinct fruitiness, juicy acidity, and exceptional cleanliness.

🌍 Kirinyaga – the heart of Kenyan specialty coffee

Kirinyaga is one of Kenya's most prestigious coffee regions. Thanks to ideal natural conditions, coffees are produced here that are regularly sought after by roasters and competition baristas worldwide.

Unlike large plantations, the majority of production comes from thousands of small family farms, often less than one hectare in size. Farmers deliver their cherries to central washing stations, where each harvest is processed according to strict standards typical of the Kenyan system.

The rigorous quality control during processing is one of the reasons why Kenyan coffees are considered among the cleanest and most complex in the world.

👨🌾 Mutitu Factory and Mutira Cooperative

The Mutitu Factory station is part of the Mutira Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS), one of the most respected cooperatives in the Kirinyaga region. It collaborates with approximately 900 smallholder farmers who grow coffee on small family farms scattered across the slopes of Mount Kenya.

In addition to coffee production, the cooperative provides its members with agronomic advice, seedling distribution, training in sustainable farming, and support for the regeneration of older plantations. Thanks to a transparent purchasing system, farmers receive higher compensation for better quality cherries, which motivates them to more careful harvesting and processing.

Mutitu Factory is known for its emphasis on precise cherry sorting, water management, and consistent quality, which makes its lots regularly sought-after coffees in Trabocca's offerings.

⚙️ Kenyan Fully Washed Processing

Kenya is known for one of the most precise washed processes in the world. At the Mutitu station, every step is carefully controlled to bring out the character of the local terroir.

Step by step

Selective Harvesting
Farmers hand-pick only perfectly ripe red cherries.

Flotation and Sorting
Upon arrival at the station, cherries are immersed in water to remove light and defective fruits.

Pulping
Mechanical removal of the skin and most of the pulp using disc pulpers.

Fermentation
Parchment coffee ferments for approximately 16–24 hours, during which the remaining mucilage layer naturally breaks down.

Double Washing and Soaking
After fermentation, the coffee is washed several times with clean mountain water and then soaked in clean water for several hours. This typical Kenyan step contributes to the extraordinary cleanliness of the cup, brighter acidity, and higher sweetness.

Drying
The parchment is dried on raised African beds for 10 to 20 days. During the day, it is regularly turned and covered during the hottest hours to ensure even drying.

Stabilization
After drying, the coffee rests in parchment for several weeks before being hulled, sorted by size and density, and prepared for export at the dry mill.

Flavor profile: Tea rose, rhubarb, lemon and chamomile tea

Country of Origin: Kenya