| Country | |
|---|---|
| Continent | |
| Region | Eastern Province |
| Community Name | Mutitu Wet Mill (Rugi FCS) |
| Processing Method | |
| Arrival Date | June 2019 |
| Cupping Notes Upon Arrival | 87 – Darjeeling tea, cardamom, milk chocolate, nectarine, plum, pomegranate |
| Elevation | 1600- 1700 MASL |
| Varietals | Batian, Ruiru 11, SL 28 (90%), SL 34 |
Mutitu wet mill was founded in 1957 near the town of Mukerweini in Nyeri County, making it amongst the oldest operating factories in Kenya. Today Mutitu is a member of the Rugi Farmers Cooperative Society since its founding in 2005. Nearly 750 farmers deliver to the Mutitu wet mill, where cherry is pulped using a disc pulper and put immediately out for 12 – 24 hours of dry fermentation. Coffee is then washed, graded, and soaked for 36 hours – with water being refreshed every 5-12 hours – before being dried for 15 – 20 days on raised beds. Terrain here is lifted to the west by the Aberdares mountain range, which contributes altitude, red volcanic soil and considerable rainfall (~ 1400 mm / year). The group’s collection zone borders Wajee Nature Park, a bird conservancy with over 10 hectares of unspoilt natural forest. The Wajee Nature Park is home to 126 local species of birds, plus species only known here such as the Hindes Babbler and Side-Striped Jackal. Coffee has intentionally been cultivated around the edges of the park as a buffer, and because of the healthy relationship between the birds and trees.
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