Thiriku
A beautifully balanced Kenyan coffee from Thiriku,
featuring vibrant notes of floral chrysanthemum, blackcurrant and mandarin orange
About this coffee
Cultivar: SL28 / SL34
Flavour notes: Chrysanthemum, blackcurrant and mandarin orange
Producer: Mugaga Cooperative Society
Country: Kenya
Region: Nyeri
Process: Washed
Roast profile: Light roast
More about the cultivar
This exceptional lot from the Thiriku Cooperative in Nyeri, Kenya, consists entirely of the country’s two most prestigious and legendary Arabica cultivars: SL28 and SL34. These historic cultivars were originally selected and developed in the 1930s by Scott Agricultural Laboratories in Kenya. SL28 is highly revered in the global specialty coffee community for its deep complexity, structural sweetness, and intense, blackcurrant-like acidity. SL34 was selected for its exceptional hardiness at high altitudes, contributing a deep, syrupy body and a crisp, clean finish to the cup. Together, these heirloom trees thrive in Nyeri’s rich, red volcanic soil. Sourced from the 2025 harvest in partnership with the green coffee experts at Project Origin, this pure SL combination represents the absolute pinnacle of traditional Kenyan flavor profiles. The careful preservation of these two cultivars locks in a stunning cup harmony, yielding a brilliant balance of delicate floral chrysanthemum, rich blackcurrant, and bright mandarin orange. How the coffee was produced
Picking and sorting The SL28 and SL34 cherries are selectively hand-picked at optimum ripeness by smallholder farmers delivering to the Thiriku factory. Before pulping, the cherries undergo strict hand-sorting on raised tables to separate over-ripe, under-ripe, or damaged fruits, ensuring only uniform, pristine cherries proceed. Depulping & Double Fermentation The cherries are depulped using clean, recirculated river water to remove the outer skins. The parchment coffee then undergoes Kenya’s signature traditional double-fermentation process. The beans are dry-fermented in concrete tanks for 12 to 24 hours to break down the dense mucilage layer, washed with clean water, and then fermented wet under water for an additional 12 to 24 hours. This intensive method removes all trace sugars evenly, locking in the characteristically crisp, clean acidity of the origin. Washing & Drying After fermentation, the coffee is thoroughly washed and graded by density in long concrete washing channels. The heavy, high-quality “AA” and “AB” grade beans sink to the bottom and are channeled to soaking tanks for a final 24-hour clean water soak. Finally, the clean parchment is spread onto raised African drying beds. The coffee dries slowly in the sun for 10 to 14 days, covered during the midday heat and night drop to ensure uniform moisture control until it falls cleanly below 11%.
Roaster's Notes
There is something unmistakably thrilling about a classic, washed Kenyan coffee when it is executed perfectly. For this lot from the Thiriku Cooperative, our goal was not to tame its lively character, but to roast it with absolute precision to let its natural clarity shine through.
The pure combination of SL28 and SL34 cultivars grown in Nyeri’s high-altitude volcanic soils yields an incredibly expressive cup. Thanks to the traditional double-fermentation processing method, the coffee doesn’t carry heavy or muddled fruit notes. Instead, it presents a brilliant, multi-layered brightness that opens up beautifully as it cools down.
While many are familiar with the classic, deep dark-berry notes of Kenya, this lot surprises you with an elegant, unexpected twist. It strikes a gorgeous, crisp harmony between a delicate, tea-like floral chrysanthemum aroma, intense blackcurrant sweetness, and a bright, juicy finish of mandarin orange. It is a vibrant, clean, and highly sophisticated cup that perfectly captures why Kenyan coffees remain a crown jewel in the global specialty roasting community.
