Tim Wendelboe - Gachatha - SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian - Washed - Kenya 250g

Roasted 6/25

This Kenyan coffee from the Gachatha wet mill has intense fruity flavours of blackcurrants, blackberries and raisins.

• Cultivar: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian
• Process: Washed
• Country: Kenya
• Region: Nyeri
• Producer: Several smallholders farmers
• Harvest: December 2025
• Tasting Notes: Blackcurrants, blackberries & raisins

About the Cultivar
This coffee is produced by several hundred farmers, most of them growing the famous Kenyan SL28 and SL34 cultivars. While some have planted newer hybrids like Ruiru 11 and Batian you can clearly taste the clean and fruity flavours in this coffee that are so common for the SL cultivars.

Production
Picking and sorting: Coffee cherries are typically hand picked by farmers and family members. After delivery to the wet mill, good cherries are separated from inferior ones by hand sorting. Depulping, fermenting & washing: Cherries are depulped using an Aagard disc de-pulper. Coffee is dry fermented for about 12-16 hours, then washed and graded by gravity. Dense beans are dried separately from lower density beans. Drying: Coffees are dried on elevated drying tables for about 10-14 days with hand sorting of defects. Tables are raked during daytime and covered during hottest times and at night. Moisture content finished at 10-12%. Coffees are then stored in conditioning bins before delivery to dry mill and vacuum packed before shipping to Norway.

Roaster Notes
I have visited the Gachatha wet mill several times and even though it looks like most wet mills do in Nyeri, it has proven to be one of the best producers of high quality coffees in the area over many years. At least in my opinion. Although the wet mill mainly takes care of the processing and drying of the coffees that are delivered by it's members / farmers, a well run wet-mill is fundamental in order to be able to produce high quality coffee year after year. Apart from processing and drying the coffees well, the co-operative provides extensive training to their farmers.