The majority of Kenya's specialty coffee is grown on small plots by families who cultivate about 300 trees per farm. After harvest, ripe cherries are sent to coffee factories (processing facilities) run by Farmer Cooperative Societies (FCS). There, the lots are sorted, dried, and processed before being packed and sold to global networks of green coffee traders. Established all the way back in 1968, the Iria-Ini Farmer Cooperative operates through three factories in Nyeri County: Kamunyaka, Miiri, and Kiamwangi.

Today, Iria-Ini boasts well-maintained facilities, modern drying beds, and, most importantly, better returns for farmers. This Kenyan coffee was processed at the Kiamwangi Factory. Unlike the traditional wet process employed by most Kenyan producers, cherries delivered to Kiamwangi are placed inside Purdue Improved Crop Storage bags. Originally developed by Purdue University to preserve grain, PICS are hermetically sealed, reusable bags that assist producers in carefully controlling fermentation. Read more about the Kiamwangi Natural coffee's processing in Cedar's notes below.

Cedar's notes

"On both filter and espresso, this coffee showcases ripe mango and vibrant tropical fruit juice, delivering this juicy sweetness. The acidity is bright and refreshing, balanced by a silky body and a clean, lingering finish. With milk, the fruit softens into a creamy dessert-like sweetness, rich vanilla ice cream wrapped in a cone chocolate shell reminiscent of a King Cone ice cream."

• Cup profile: Mango, tropical fruit juice, King Cone ice cream

Coffee details from Cedar

"Kenyan coffees have long been celebrated for their vibrant acidity and remarkable complexity, but naturally processed Kenyan coffees remain relatively uncommon. When we cupped this lot, it offered everything we love about Kenya but with the added richness and intensity that natural processing brings.

"This coffee comes from Kiamwangi Factory, part of the Iria-Ini Farmers' Cooperative Society in the Mathira region of Nyeri, Kenya. The Iria-Ini Cooperative supports over 1,100 farmers, each cultivating small plots on the fertile volcanic slopes of Mount Kenya.

"The farmers grow a mix of Kenya's renowned SL28 and SL34 varieties alongside the newer Ruiru 11 and Batian cultivars. Many producers also practice intercropping and sustainable farming methods that help improve soil health and biodiversity.

"Unlike the traditional washed coffees that Kenya is famous for, this lot undergoes an innovative natural process. Only fully ripe cherries are carefully hand-selected before being sealed in food-grade fermentation bags. The cherries ferment for approximately 72 hours in a controlled low-oxygen environment, encouraging greater fruit complexity while carefully managing microbial activity. Following fermentation, the cherries are transferred to raised drying beds where they are regularly turned under the sun until reaching a stable moisture content of around 10%."

• Country: Kenya
• Farm: Kiamwangi Factory
• Producers: Iria-Ini Co-operative
• Region: Nyeri, Mathira
• Process: Natural
• Altitude: 1,700 – 1,900 masl (metres above sea level)
• Varieties: SL28, SL34 & Batian