FLAVOR PROFILE | The highest-scoring lots showed honeyed sweetness, ripe stone fruits, and hints of Ethiopia-esque florals, including coffees from Little Swamps and Muinami, as well as from newer names like Wilson Chumo (pictured above) and Joseph Kolombos. Herbaceousness is still part of the picture, but anyone looking for a simple variation on the Central Kenya SL theme should open their heart a little wider here.

Roast Level | Light

Notes  |  Golden Apple, White Peach, Redcurrant

Body | Juicy

Sweetness | Medium-high

Acidity | Medium, Tart

MEET THE PRODUCER | Muinami Estate is the local name for what Stephen Nendela himself calls Nawiri, the 26-acre farm in the Cherangani Hills that he began rebuilding after the success of a smaller six-acre sugarcane-to-coffee conversion he started with his mother near Eldoret in 2015. Muinami is Stephen’s family name, meaning “those who work,” while Nawiri means “prosperity”—both suit the place. At roughly 1,900 meters, with forest interspersed and brisk overnight temperatures for much of the year, there is a palpably cooler microclimate here than elsewhere in the West. Of the 26 acres, about 14 are under coffee, with the balance dedicated to agroforestry, beekeeping, nursery space, and the broader farm system that Stephen and his farm manager, Linet, continue to build out.

Origin | Kenya

Producer | Stephen Nendela

Process | Honey

Variety | Ruiru 11 and Batian

Elevation | 1,900 MASL