Kenya Ashemari

Raspberry Chocolate Cake

A juicy and sweet coffee with notes of raspberry, red currant, orange, and dark chocolate. Enjoy its milky texture, full body, higher acidity, and intense aroma. When brewed as a filter, it is a fragrant and intense coffee with notes of raspberry, orange soda, candied fruit, and milk chocolate in the aftertaste. Espresso brings out the higher acidity of currants and gooseberries, along with the sweetness of nougat and cocoa in the aftertaste. 

Our new limited edition comes from the Nyeri region north of Kenya's capital. Nyeri is the second largest coffee region in Kenya and is home to more than 78,000 producer families.

The lot we have selected for you is called Ashemali, named after the star that the farmers chose to designate this coffee. It is a traditional SL28 variety, which was bred in the 1930s at the local Scott Agricultural Laboratories (hence the abbreviation SL). This variety is already iconic for Kenyan coffees, but recently it has mostly been available to us in the form of a blend with other varieties such as SL34, Ruiru, or Batian, so we are very happy that after a long time we have managed to include this variety on its own. 

This coffee is a traditional variety, but with a very unusual processing method. Most coffee from Kenya is usually processed using the washed and soaked method, and naturally processed coffees from this country are quite rare. However, our lot comes from the importer Mare Terra Coffee, who are renowned for their experimental processing methods and wild flavor profiles. This lot is no exception. This coffee was processed using the anaerobic natural sleeping bag method. After handpicking, the ripe cherries were fermented in closed containers without air access - anaerobic fermentation. This process produces lactic acid, breaks down sugars, and significantly changes the flavor profile of the coffee. After this phase, the cherries were moved to elevated dryers covered with a special moisture-retaining fabric. The drying process that this coffee underwent is called "sleeping bag" and consists of regularly covering and uncovering the beans during drying. Thanks to this method, the beans retain more of their density, the cherries ferment more when covered, and the resulting flavor has more pronounced fruity, even winey notes.

This coffee from Kenya is a far cry from the traditional flavor profile. The combination of a traditional variety with unconventional processing creates a flavor experience that is rare and definitely worth tasting!

Graphic note: The package design is a synthesis of primitive African art and Keith Haring. We can argue whether the main motif is a Kenyan or a cup of coffee. The pattern is cropped with a silhouette that copies Mount Kenya, the second highest peak in Africa.

Roasted coffee beans, 100% specialty coffee Arabica, roasted and packed in the Czech Republic.