Kenya is one of our most favourite origins because it produces some of the world’s finest coffees, and their flavour characteristics are so unique that they’re usually very easy to identify on a cupping table. As one of Africa’s largest coffee producers, Kenya has managed to build a formidable coffee growing industry that sets the bar high for others to follow.

Throughout this year we have featured a couple of extremely exquisite Kenyan coffees, but in December we’re sharing with you a Kenyan coffee that is more unique still. Hailing from the slopes of Mount Kenya and the Kamwangi Coffee Factory is a particular SL28 & SL34 variety called ‘peaberry’. It’s not very common and in our entire two and half year history of shipping unique monthly coffee boxes we’ve only ever had one coffee of this kind. It’s very special to us indeed.

Normally two seeds or beans develop facing each other inside a coffee cherry, leading to the common flattened top look of the vast majority of coffee beans. In the case of a peaberry only one of those seeds is fertilised and grows without any sibling opposite to flatten it. This ends up giving the coffee bean a very round body, and most importantly, a very unique flavour because as the single seed inside the cherry, it is able to absorb even more of the nutrients and sugars that would otherwise be split between two seeds.

The Kamwangi factory was founded in 1997 and is operated by the New Ngariama Cooperative Society who also own another factory in the same region. Small holders in the surrounding area produce mostly SL28 & SL34 varieties but also a handful of Riuru II and K7, both very typical Kenyan coffee types.

The farmers sort the cherries before only the ripe ones are taken to the processing station for depulping and fermentation. Then, the coffee is spread out on African drying beds and left to dry for 12 to 20 days, depending on the weather conditions.

Drop Coffee has been working with this factory for three consecutive years and this year they purchased their AA and peaberry coffees. Joanna Alm, founder and head roaster at Drop Coffee said: “Personally I love how the creaminess in the cup stands out, with a lot of acidity reminiscent of pink grapefruit.”

Indeed, during our most recent blind-tasting session where we pick the three coffees to go into our monthly boxes, this particular coffee was a real standout, and we’re incredibly thrilled to feature it in our upcoming December ’16 box.

Keen to receive this coffee? Make sure you order your box before December 15th /

will ship globally on December 19th.

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*Please note, if you specifically want to receive this coffee, make sure to add this to your order note at check out.