Ibonia Estate AA, Field Blend: Ruiru 11, SL 34, SL28, Kiambu, Kenya (250g)

Raw Sugar • Pomelo • Lime | Washed Process | Kiambu, Kenya | 1725 MASL 

Kiambu sits just 13km north of Nairobi, and the proximity is both its defining feature and its greatest threat. As the city expands, land here is increasingly being absorbed by development, making the estates that have held on to serious coffee production all the more worth attention.

Ibonia Estate covers 114 hectares of deep red volcanic soil, a mix of Nitisols and Andosols that drain well and hold fertility in a way that's genuinely rare. At 1,725 meters, the climate is cool year-round, and between May and July it turns cold and wet. That stretch is critical: the slowdown in cherry development during those months extends the maturation window and is a large part of why cup profiles from Kiambu tend toward the complex end of the Kenya spectrum.

Cherries are handpicked at full ripeness and pulped the same day. From there, the coffee undergoes full fermentation and washing before being dried in ventilated storage bins. Water from the pulping process runs through a 16-lagoon recirculation system, a rare and thoughtful infrastructure for an estate of this size. The surrounding natural forest is kept intact, supporting fig, croton, and cordia trees alongside a resident population of weaverbirds, hawks, and owls.

250 Grams