Karinga is a beautiful Kenyan coffee with big aroma, subtle tropical flavors, citrus and notes of jasmine. It boasts a sparkling acidity and a clean, lingering aftertaste, and performs equally well as hot or iced coffee.

In Kenya, many farmers are what is known as “smallholders,” meaning they produce a relatively small amount of coffee (sometimes as little as a few bags) and deliver their coffee cherries to a cooperative. The cooperative, often referred to as the “factory,” is charged with processing, sorting, marketing and selling the coffee produced by hundreds of nearby smallholders.

In this instance, the Karinga Factory, located in the Thika district just north of Nairobi, represents nearly 1,000 members. Coffee grown in the area is almost exclusively SL-28 and SL-34 varieties, with a small amount of Ruiri 11. In addition to processing and selling the coffee, the Karinga Factory provides training and assistance to farmers via its field committee, which includes an agronomist who makes regular farm visits to ensure a high standard of quality. When members deliver their coffee cherries to the factory they are paid a base price, and at the end of the season after the coffee has been sold, 90% of the profits are evenly returned.

The Karinga Factory and all of its member farms are situated at 1900 meters above sea level, where coffee is grown in rich, red soil ideal for the varieties being produced. The air here is cooler in the evenings and the sun is plentiful during the day, perfect conditions for fermentation, washing, soaking and drying the coffee.

Karinga was roasted by our partners at Madcap Coffee Co. in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We hope you enjoy this coffee as much as we do.