Ngurueri (Washed) - Kenya

 Ngurueri, first established in 1968, now has almost 1,500 smallholder farmers and is one of four washing stations that form the Murue Farmer’s Cooperative Society. Ngurueri Factory is situated in the most picturesque landscape overlooking the valley where Mount Kenya National Park begins in Embu County.  The area is dressed with red-volcanic soil that infuses it with all the mineral and organic goodness necessary for optimum production. It experiences an annual rainfall of 1,100mm and enjoys cool temperatures of 12-26°C.

Processing at the Ngurueri Wet Mill adheres to stringent quality-driven methods. All coffee cherries are handpicked and delivered to the mill the same day, where they undergo meticulous sorting. Factory employees oversee the process and any under-ripe or damaged cherries will not be accepted. After being weighed and logged, the cherries are introduced into the hopper to be pulped. Pulping will only begin when a sufficient quantity of cherries has been received. After pulping the cherries are delivered to one of the factory’s fermentation tanks, where they will ferment for between 12 to 48 hours depending on the ambient temperature. After this, the coffee is fully washed to remove all traces of mucilage, during which time it will be graded. The coffee is then dried on the factory’s raised drying beds over the course of 2 to 3 weeks, during which time it will be turned regularly and covered during the hottest part of the day.

• Region: Embu
• Country: Kenya
• Elevation: 1,760 masl 
• Variety: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11
• Process: Washed