Gachatha

Produced at the Gachatha Wet Mill, this Kenyan coffee boasts intense fruit notes of blackcurrants, blackberries, and raisins.

Tim's Notes

I have visited the Gachatha Wet Mill in Nyeri many times. While it may look similar to other processing factories in Nyeri, it has proven over the years to be one of the top producers of high-quality coffee in the region, at least in my opinion.

The primary role of a wet mill is to process and dry the coffee harvested by its members and farmers, and the existence of such a well-run processing factory is essential for consistently producing excellent quality coffee each year.

The Gachatha Cooperative not only excels at processing and drying coffee but also provides extensive education to farmers. They even have a small demonstration plot within the processing factory where they educate members on proper agricultural practices. Furthermore, the cooperative itself cultivates and distributes seedlings of coffee trees and shade trees to its members.

Most members still cultivate the traditional varieties SL28 and SL34, but I understand that in recent years, new hybrid varieties like Ruiru 11 and Batian are also being widely planted. Nevertheless, Gachatha's coffee fully retains the impressively intense fruit notes characteristic of the traditional SL varieties.

Cultivar - SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian
Flavour Notes - Blackcurrants, blackberries & raisins
Producer - Several smallholders farmers
Country - Kenya
Region - Nyeri
Process - Washed
Harvest - December 2025
Roast Profile - Light Roast
Contents - Whole Coffee Beans