Day 11. Kenya - Duma Nyeri
Duma Nyeri is a standout coffee sourced from smallholder producers across the Nyeri region and the foothills surrounding Mount Kenya. This Grade AB lot brings together a mix of well-loved Kenyan varietals, Batian, Ruiru 11, SL28 and SL34 and is grown between 1,600 and 1,850 metres above sea level. Fully washed and meticulously prepared, it delivers bright notes of stone fruit, honey and lemon, earning an impressive SCA score of 84.25.
Kenya’s coffee industry has earned global admiration for its precision and quality. Though coffee arrived here later than in neighbouring Ethiopia, Kenya quickly developed a reputation for clean, complex and beautifully structured cups. Today, the vast majority of Kenyan coffee is grown by smallholders farming just a few acres each. They are organised into cooperative societies, each operating their own central processing stations known as “factories,” where careful sorting, pulping, fermentation and washing help preserve the region’s distinct clarity of flavour.
Duma coffees are primarily sourced through the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, Kenya’s famous auction system. Exceptional microlots may achieve premium prices at auction, but because these lots are tiny, smallholder farmers still rely on selling the rest of their harvest at fair, sustainable prices. This is where Duma plays an important role: by blending high-quality coffees from multiple farms and factories, it creates consistent, larger-volume lots that reward farmers for their entire crop, not just the standout parcels.
Cultivation across Nyeri and neighbouring districts benefits from rich volcanic soils, cool temperatures and abundant mountain streams. After selective handpicking, cherries are delivered to local factories, where they are sorted, pulped and fermented for 12–16 hours before being washed in cold, fresh water. The parchment is then dried slowly on raised beds, turned frequently and hand-sorted to maintain impeccable quality. Finally, the coffee is screen-graded, with AB representing a respected and versatile size category prized for both balance and cup clarity.
The result is a coffee that captures the essence of Kenyan terroir: bright, juicy and elegant, with layers of fruit sweetness and a crisp, clean finish. Kenya Duma Nyeri is a celebration of the country’s remarkable coffee culture and the dedication of the thousands of smallholder farmers who make these flavours possible.
