Washed SL 14, SL28, Batian, Ruiru

Nyeri Hill Estate AB

Nyeri Hill Estate lies in Nyeri County on the slopes of Mount Kenya, one of the oldest coffee farms in East Africa, first planted in 1914. The estate is run by the Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri and spans over 1,400 hectares, with around 340 devoted to coffee grown between 1,800 and 2,200 meters above sea level in volcanic red soil. More than 350 permanent staff and thousands of seasonal pickers work the harvest each year. Profits from the coffee support local schools, a teachers' college, and a mission hospital, making the estate as much a community institution as a coffee farm.

SL14, SL28, Batian, Ruiru 11

SL14, SL28, Batian, and Ruiru 11 are all Kenyan-developed varieties grown together at Nyeri Hill Estate. SL14 and SL28 date to the 1930s work of Scott Laboratories, prized for their vivid acidity and blackcurrant character, though both remain vulnerable to leaf rust and coffee berry disease. Batian and Ruiru 11 were bred later by Kenya's Coffee Research Institute to resist those same diseases while approaching the cup quality of the SL series. Grown side by side, the four varieties combine to give the lot Kenya's signature juicy acidity, blackcurrant intensity, and layered complexity.

The washed process begins with selective picking of ripe cherries, which are then depulped to remove the outer skin. The beans ferment in water or dry for a controlled period to break down the remaining mucilage before being thoroughly washed and moved to drying beds. Drying typically takes one to two weeks, depending on conditions, with the beans turned regularly to ensure even moisture loss. The result is a clean, transparent cup where the character of the bean and the skill of the producer come through without interference from the fruit.

Learn more about the washed process.