About this coffee
Kenya Kiamutuira coffee
Origin: Kenya
Region: Kirinyaga
Washing station: Kiamutuira
Cooperative: Mutira Cooperative Society
Producers: approximately 600 smallholder farmers
Altitude: 1650 – 1700 m
Varieties: SL28, SL34 & Batian
Processing: Fully washed
Harvest: October – December
Importer: Trabocca
Taste, aroma & brewing advice
In the cup, you find a sweet, herbaceous aroma with blackberries and floral accents. The taste is juicy and fruity, with rosewater and dark fruit on the forefront and a full, sweet body. In the aftertaste, a subtle hint of chocolate. This coffee comes best as a filter coffee, where the clear fruit tones and the juicy mouthfeel come to the fore.
Background
This fully washed Kenyan coffee comes from the Kiamutuira washing station in Kirinyaga, on the southern slopes of Mount Kenya. The coffee is harvested by around 600 smallholder farmers from the Mutira Cooperative Society and consists of the varieties SL28, SL34 and Batian — classic Kenyan cultivars known for their clear and fruity taste profiles.
The Kiamutuira washing station was founded in 1996 to offer local coffee farmers in Kirinyaga a reliable processing facility. The station is one of the seven factories within the Mutira Farmers' Cooperative Society, a co-operative founded in 1951 and now has over 7,000 members spread across the region. The co-operative's headquarters is located near the nearby Kagumo factory.
The plantations around Kiamutuira lie at an altitude of 1650 to 1700 meters, directly bordered by the Mount Kenya forest. The landscape consists of rolling hills with red, volcanic soil — exceptionally fertile and rich in nutrients. The climate is mild with temperatures between 15 and 25°C and an annual rainfall of around 1500 mm. These are ideal conditions for the slow ripening of coffee berries, which contributes to the complexity in the cup.
Between the coffee plants grow macadamia trees that provide shade and improve soil health. Besides coffee, the farmers also cultivate tea and food crops — ensuring agricultural diversity and a stable income alongside the coffee harvest.
The community
Around Kiamutuira, the roughly 600 farmers tend to each plot on average only 0.1 hectare — small parcels, often right next to their houses. The member base has a notably higher number of women than men, reflecting the central role of women within the local Kikuyu farmer community. The harvest runs from October to December. During that period, farmers bring their ripened coffee cherries weekly to the washing station, where the cherries are pulped, fermented in water and dried on raised drying beds.
The Mutira Cooperative actively invests in the future of its farmers. Members are trained in sustainable farming practices via Coffee Management Services (CMS), and the co-operative has certifications from various organizations such as Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade. Since 2024, the co-operative is part of the Climate Smart Coffee program, which supports farmers with climate insurance and agricultural advice based on weather data — a response to the increasing impact of drought and unpredictable rainfall in the region.
For more information about our coffee and the Kiamutuira washing station, see Trabocca's website:
https://www.trabocca.com/our-coffees/kenya/kirinyaga/kiamutuira/
