Kenya, Gondo AA

Buckle up and get ready for the sip of the summer. It's a zingy fruity espresso, a dynamic layered filter coffee AND even a clean, sweet cold brew. The early morning sun is pouring through your kitchen window, the brew is on and you're looking out the window imagining the immense potential of the day ahead. Or, more accurately it's absolutely hosing it down with rain. Either way, can't have summer without a Kenyan coffee. Get it before it's Gondo (sorry, the pun was right there). 

Flavour profile: complex, sweet and clean with tropical flavours of papaya, guava and some structured acidity. 

Gondo is one of three wet mills under the New Kiriti Farmers Cooperative Society, headquartered at the Kayu wet mill in Kangema District. Gondo alone has 727 active farmer members out of the cooperative’s total of 2,469. The society is governed by a seven-member management committee and a three-member supervisory committee. Operations are overseen by a secretary manager, supported by 19 permanent staff and about 25 seasonal workers. In recent crop years, Gondo’s cherry production has ranged between 168,000 and 475,000 kg. The factory holds certifications from Café Practices and Nespresso AAA, reflecting its commitment to sustainable and quality-focused coffee production.

The region surrounding Gondo Wet Mill is characterised by deep red volcanic soils, with altitudes reaching 1,900 meters above sea level. Annual rainfall ranges between 1,200 and 1,400 mm, with two distinct rainy seasons that support both a main crop (October–February) and a light crop (April–May). Temperatures average between 18°C and 25°C. The coffee varieties cultivated include SL28, K7, Ruiru 11, and Batian. Most farmers in the cooperative manage small plots averaging 0.5 acres with around 50 trees per farm.