ONYX - Muthingini AA - Kenya - Washed - SL28, SL34, Batian

ONYX Coffee Lab is located in Rogers, United State

From ONYX

This season's Kenya Muthingini AA exemplifies the synergy between the pristine, high-altitude terroir of Kirinyaga's lush mountainsides and the unwavering expertise of Kenya’s devoted coffee processors. Its extraordinary versatility shines in both filter and espresso preparations, inviting you to explore its layered complexity and exquisite balance. Expect notes of tart orange and stone fruit throughout the drinking experience.

Each season there is at least one micro-lot we source from Kenya that absolutely shines. This outturn from Muthingini stood out from the pre-shipment sample, all the way to the final delivery. We chose to use this coffee in both our lineup of standard offerings as well as within our Advent Calendar for 2024- a testament to not only the high quality of this coffee, but also to the sheer size of the outturn from this station. Grown in Kirinyaga County, coffees from Muthingini are produced by over one thousand smallholder growers in the region. They focus not only on processing high quality coffee, but they also provide knowledge and support to farmers in the area in order to continually elevate and stabilize coffee growth in the region.

Kenya Processing and The Auction System
Kenya’s coffee system is renowned for its sophistication, utilizing two main channels for selling and exporting: the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, a central auction system, and a marketer direct-sale system. Cooperatives frequently opt for the auction route, where coffees are evaluated and sold based on quality. To participate, licensed marketers receive weekly samples, allowing them to assess the coffees before bidding. We usually focus on outturns 14 to 21, which occur later in the harvest and often produce coffees with exceptional flavor and complexity.

Kenya’s coffee processing method is just as meticulous. After hand-sorting to remove under- or overripe cherries, the coffee is depulped and undergoes a two-day dry fermentation in white ceramic tanks, followed by washing with fresh water to remove the mucilage. The beans are then soaked, sorted by density, and dried on raised beds until they reach optimal moisture content. Once dried, the coffee is further sorted by size and density, which determines its grade for auction.

The AA grade (screen size 17/18) is the largest and most sought-after, often commanding the highest prices due to its size and reputation for superior quality. However, AB (screen size 15/16) coffees, which represent around 30% of Kenya’s production, can rival or even surpass AA lots in flavor. Meanwhile, Peaberry (PB), a rare formation where only one round bean develops inside the cherry, represents about 10% of production and often delivers distinctive winey, syrupy notes. Each grade, whether AA, AB, or PB, offers a unique and refined expression of Kenya’s celebrated coffee heritage, providing reason enough to return season after season for our sourcing needs.