CROWN JEWEL KENYA MUMWE MAHIGA DOUBLE FERMENTED DOUBLE WASHED

High in the hills of southern Nyeri, where volcanic soil meets cool mountain air, a few hundred smallholders deliver their cherry to the Mahiga Factory. This is Crown Jewel Kenya, a lot processed with a rare double-ferment, double-wash technique that pushes Kenyan clarity to its limit.

OriginKenya RegionMumwe, Nyeri Elevation1,700-1,890m ProcessDouble Fermented, Double Washed VarietySL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian The Source

Nyeri's Coffee Country

Kenya sits among the most respected coffee origins on the planet, and Nyeri is its benchmark. The county lies on the southern slopes of Mount Kenya, where deep red volcanic soil and a wide day-to-night temperature swing slow cherry maturation and concentrate sugars. The Mahiga Factory operates under the Othaya Farmers Cooperative Society, one of the larger societies in the region, drawing cherry from roughly 400 smallholders who tend small plots across the Mumwe area.

Those farms climb to between 1,700 and 1,890 meters, the kind of high-altitude growing that gives Kenyan coffee its signature density and bright structure. The planting is classic Nyeri: the prized SL28 and SL34 selections alongside the disease-resistant Ruiru 11 and Batian, all hand-picked and delivered ripe to the factory for same-day processing.

The Craft

Twice Fermented, Twice Washed

Most Kenyan coffee is already cleanly washed, but Mahiga goes further. After pulping, the coffee ferments underwater for about 12 hours, gets washed to strip mucilage, then ferments a second time for another 12 to 36 hours before a long soak in fresh, cold river water. This double-ferment, double-wash method is uncommon in Kenya, and it correlates strongly with exceptional cleanliness and transparency in the cup. To learn how these processing methods shape flavor, the washed route is the one that lets terroir speak plainly.

We roast this lot to City+, a measured medium-light profile that protects the acidity and aromatics the factory worked so hard to build. Pushing it darker would flatten the very clarity that makes a double-washed Nyeri coffee worth seeking out.

Caramel Chocolate Citrus Dried Cherry BodyFull AcidityBright The Cup

Structure and Sweetness

The cup opens with a vivid citrus snap and a wash of caramel sweetness, then settles into rounded chocolate and a dried-cherry depth that lingers. The acidity is bright and intense without turning sharp, balanced by a full, syrupy body that coats the palate. As it cools, the fruit gains complexity, a hallmark of high-grown Nyeri lots and a reward for taking your time with the cup.

Find Your Fix

This lot shines through pour-over. A Chemex or V60 spreads its citrus and caramel notes wide, while a standard drip keeps the body and sweetness front and center. Aeropress concentrates the chocolate depth for a denser cup. Explore the rest of our coffee beans and find your fix.

Roasted in small batches at our Virginia Beach roastery.

Packaged in reusable glass mason jars, returned locally for reuse. Solar-roasted.

Virginia Beach, VA