Kenya Deman Estate
Kenya Deman Estate Natural
I may have said at some point in the past, that Kenyan coffees should never be processed as a natural. I am not going to eat those words, as such. We have had a shortage of great natural process coffees in the last year or so. Much of this is down to the fact that there has been added value in different methods of processing coffee.
For me, I always like to have a range of processes that showcase what coffee can taste like, from different areas. This lot just jumped out for its shy, yet ripe sweetness, which was quite unlike any Kenya I have bought before. Being tiny players in the grand scheme of coffee things we don’t buy life-changing amounts of coffee from single farms in Kenya. We still try and make every kilo of every bag that we buy count for something.
Top Trumps:
Exporter: Vava
Country: Kenya
Process: Natural
Production area: 10 acres
Number of trees: 10,000
Growing Practices: Shade trees, terraces. 80% organic, 20% conventional
Coffee varieties: Ruiru 11, Batian
Roast; Standard drop, light filter roast.
Cup potential.
Aromatics: Plummy, spicey Body: Medium Acidity: Currants, Citric
Jammy redcurrant acidity with a touch of cocoa upfront. As the liquor cools the fruit goes from red currants to plum. The plum acidity softens and becomes yellow/greengage-like with a lingering citrus finish. Right down to cool, this is just sweet, soft and creamy.
Filter Recipe:
We have been brewing this at a starting point of 60g per litre in filter and 65g+ in full immersion.
Espresso:
As always starting from the biggest drink downwards.
From the biggest drink that we do in-house: 9 oz, using organic whole milk. This has big soluble strength. Citrus and fruit intensity really kicks through. In a flat white (6oz) this is really big on red fruits upfront, rich, creamy, and spicey.
Espresso. This took some time, playing around to get the best out of this roast. Oddly (perhaps) this is where we got the most “ripe” verging on tasting anything like a natural process coffee. We took the shots right out to 75g and bought them back into 1:2 (17g coffee in-34g espresso out etc) and the sweet spot was really tight. Unusual for me normally!
Milk-based: 1:2 e.g. 17g in/34g out 25-28 seconds.
Espresso: 17:34g 26 seconds+
Brew Temp: 93-95C I don’t spend a lot of time adjusting brew temperatures for many reasons. I feel with this coffee you could get even more out of the espresso with a temperature tweak.
A little about Vava
Vava Angwenyi is one of the world’s incredibly driven people. She is driven by equality. With a tribal background and extensive Western education. Two BSC’s and an MSC in science and Business. Vava also champions soil health and watercourse organisations amongst so many other things. Coffee is just one of the areas that she wants to see leveled up. Here is a recent video presentation she did for Re:co Here Wow right? I am in awe of this woman.
Vava Specialty Coffee is a social enterprise in Nairobi, that seeks to cause positive social and economic disruption within the coffee industry and create sustainable livelihoods for smallholder farmers as well as integrate more women and youth within the entire supply chain. Since its inception, Vava has worked tirelessly towards creating a strong network as well as relationships connecting like-minded partners to expand their reach.
Farm Info
Deman estate is owned by the young energetic Mutai Kinyua, located in Nkubu town. This is located on the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya within Meru county. It falls in one of the most fertile and best-watered parts of Africa. Tea, coffee, and dairy farming are the main economic activities there.
Kinyua is an enthusiastic and outgoing young producer who has slowly worked to revive the family coffee farm and taken every opportunity to learn new technologies and processing methods to keep elevating his coffee quality.
