Navy Special Operations Foundation (NSOF) Special Edition Kenya Nyeri Hill AA

On the southwestern slopes of Mount Kenya, the Nyeri Hill estate has grown coffee in deep red volcanic soil for more than a century. This AA lot carries the bright, structured clarity that made Nyeri a benchmark for the entire country. We roast it as a special edition in support of the Navy Special Operations Foundation.

OriginKenya RegionNyeri County Elevation1,800-2,200m ProcessWashed (AA) VarietySL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian The Source

Nyeri Hill, on the Mountain's Red Soil

Nyeri County sits high on the slopes of Mount Kenya, where cool temperatures slow the ripening of each cherry and let sugars and acids build into the layered complexity Kenyan coffee is known for. The soil here is the region's signature: deep red and volcanic, rich in phosphorus, a terroir that growers across Nyeri credit for the bright, blackcurrant-laced cup that carries the region's name.

The Nyeri Hill estate is one of the oldest coffee farms in East Africa, with its first demonstration plot planted by the Consolata Fathers in the early 1900s. Spread across more than 1,400 hectares, it grows the classic Kenyan variety lineup: SL28 and SL34, selected at Scott Laboratories in the 1930s for cup quality and drought tolerance, alongside the disease-resistant Ruiru 11 and Batian. The AA designation marks the largest, densest beans, those retained on the 17/18 screen, prized for their concentration of flavor. The high elevation does much of the work here; see our notes on high-altitude coffee for why thinner mountain air sharpens a cup.

The Craft

Double-Washed for Clarity, Roasted to City+

This lot follows Kenya's exacting fully washed method. Ripe cherries are pulped, then fermented and rinsed in stages, often a second fermentation and a long soak, before drying slowly on raised beds in the sun. That extended, water-intensive approach strips away every trace of fruit pulp and leaves a remarkably clean, transparent cup that lets the SL varieties speak plainly. Read more on how washing shapes flavor in our guide to natural and washed processing methods.

We roast Nyeri Hill to City+, a medium-light level that protects the coffee's natural acidity and its dark-fruit character rather than burying it under roast. The result keeps the wine-like structure intact while rounding the edges into something approachable and sweet.

Dark Grape Blackcurrant Citrus Berry BodyMedium AcidityBright The Cup

Restrained Sweetness, Then a Berry Finish

The cup opens with a restrained, controlled sweetness rather than an obvious one, then gives way to flashes of dark grape juice and a bright citrus lift through the middle. It closes on a clean berry finish, the kind of structured, juicy acidity that has kept Nyeri at the top of Kenyan coffee for decades. Medium-bodied and crisp, it rewards careful brewing and a moment of attention.

Find Your Fix

A washed Kenyan AA shines through clarity-focused methods. A Chemex or V60 pour-over showcases the dark grape and citrus notes with the most definition, while an Aeropress or drip brew delivers the same brightness with a fuller body. This special-edition roast supports the Navy Special Operations Foundation, with 10% of proceeds donated to their work for service members and families. Browse the full lineup of 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