Thunguri PB from Mazelab Roasters is a coffee from Kenya that delivers in the cup exactly what makes coffees from this country so highly prized. Vibrant cranberry and blackberry notes unfold into a richly fruity, juicy profile with a clear structure and purity that lasts from the first sip through to a long, lingering finish. A coffee that reminds us why Nyeri holds such an important place in the coffee world and why those who discover it keep coming back.
The coffee comes from the Thunguri washing station, which has been operating since 1962 in the fertile foothills of Mount Kenya in the Nyeri region and receives cherries from more than a thousand small-scale farmers in neighboring villages. The station is part of the Kibirigwi Cooperative Society and, over the decades of its existence, has built a reputation as a place where quality is approached with respect and without compromise. The PB designation in the coffee’s name refers to peaberry, a unique bean shape that occurs when only one bean grows in a cherry instead of two. These beans are smaller and rounder but have a distinctive flavor and make up approximately five percent of the total harvest. The SL28 variety, which grows here in red volcanic soil at an altitude of over 1,700 meters, is one of Kenya’s most prized varieties and fully demonstrates its exceptional potential here.
The coffee undergoes traditional washed processing, which is typical for Kenyan stations and plays a key role here in preserving the purity and natural clarity of the profile. Hand-harvested cherries are carefully sorted, pulped, and thoroughly washed with fresh water after fermentation. Drying takes place slowly on raised beds until the beans reach optimal moisture content.