Origin · Central Kenya
Kiambu
We buy traceable, single origin, SCA-graded coffee from across Kenya — wherever we find it. Right now, that includes the slopes of the Aberdare range in Kiambu County, thirty kilometres from our roastery. Here's what makes this particular origin exceptional.
The land
Why Kiambu produces exceptional coffee
Kiambu County sits on the southern slopes of the Aberdare mountain range, at elevations between 1,400 and 1,800 metres above sea level. At this altitude, coffee cherries ripen slowly — sometimes over nine months — which concentrates sugars and develops the complex flavour compounds that specialty buyers seek.
The soil is deep red volcanic earth, rich in minerals and excellent at retaining moisture between the rains. Combined with Kiambu's two distinct rainy seasons, the conditions produce two harvests per year — the main crop from October to December, and a smaller fly crop from June to August.
After picking, the cherries are processed using the washed method — pulped, fermented to remove the mucilage, washed with clean water, and dried on raised beds. This process produces the clean, bright, fruit-forward cup that Kenyan coffee is celebrated for worldwide.
30km from cup to roastery
Kiambu is one of the closest major coffee-growing regions to Nairobi. Beans from this region travel less than an hour from county to roastery — shorter than most coffee travels in a single city.
Kenya's coffee heritage
Kiambu has been growing coffee since the early 1900s. The county's smallholder farmers and cooperatives have refined their craft over generations, producing beans that consistently score above 85 on the SCA cupping scale.
In the cup
What Kiambu tastes like
Blackcurrant
The signature of Kiambu — a deep, jammy fruit note that comes from the altitude and slow ripening.
Bright citrus
Clean, sharp acidity characteristic of fully washed Central Kenya coffees.
Brown sugar
Natural sweetness from the red volcanic soil and careful processing.
Full body
Weight in the cup that holds up beautifully in milk drinks at 65°.
The 65° connection
Built for milk drinks
Kiambu coffee has a full, heavy body that holds up beautifully when steamed milk is introduced. The blackcurrant and brown sugar notes don't disappear behind the milk — they complement it. This is not an accident. The altitude, soil, and washed processing conspire to produce a bean that is as good in a flat white as it is as a black filter.
At 65°C — the temperature at which milk reaches its natural sweetness — a Kiambu-sourced espresso reveals a depth that cheaper beans simply don't have. It's exactly the standard we look for in every region we buy from — traceable, single origin, SCA-graded — and Kiambu is where we're currently finding it. See the other Central Kenya regions we look to as well.
Taste Kiambu for yourself
Available in Classic and Premium grades, medium and dark roast. Delivered to your door in Nairobi.
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