Friedhats presents the Kenyan Karimikui, a bold and juicy drip coffee with a profile that showcases exactly what makes Kenyan coffees worth coming back to. The flavor profile features sweet dates, a subtle hint of green tea, and cola. The result is a fruity and clean cup, in which the more pronounced black currant acidity is balanced by the sweetness of the dates, while the green tea adds a lighter and more elegant character. The coffee is roasted for espresso and offers a combination of intense fruit, sweetness, and a fresh tea finish.
Karimikui comes from the Kirinyaga region of Kenya, where coffee trees grow at an elevation of 1,600 to 1,800 meters. Approximately 600 smallholder farmers contribute to this lot, supplying their coffee cherries to the Karimikui Coffee Factory. The station is part of the Rung’eto Farmers Cooperative Society, which oversees the collective processing of the local producers’ harvest. The lot consists of the SL28, SL34, and Batian varieties—a combination closely associated with Kenyan coffee production. Nordic Approach handled the import of the coffee.
The coffee is processed using the washed method, which allows its fruity and clean character to shine through. For this specific lot, Friedhats does not provide further details on fermentation, washing, or drying, so there’s no point in speculating about the process. In any case, the washed process complements the character of the varieties used well here, allowing for pronounced black currant, sweeter dates, and the coffee’s more delicate tea-like notes to shine through. The result is a fresh Kenyan espresso with a clearly defined profile and plenty of fruity character.