DeKUT Coffee Technology

The coffee is grown at the Dedan Kimathi University (DeKUT) farm which has been under cultivation since the early 1900s. It was originally a large, private landholding, but since the 1970s it has been utilized by the university to train students in a wide range of agricultural practices and technologies.

DeKUT was the first university in Kenya to be chartered under the new universities act of 2012, but the university itself goes back to 1972. The University offers a wide range of courses, but perhaps most notable, here, are its agricultural training programs. The farm cultivates SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11 and Batian at 1,600 to 1,750 meters above sea level. Since 2014, the farm has focused on renovating their plots, replacing older and less productive trees with the improved Batian variety. Batian was introduced by Coffee Research Institute (CRI) in 2010 and is named after the highest peak on Mt. Kenya. The variety is resistant to both CBD and CLR and has the added benefit of early maturity - cropping after only two years.

Cherry is selectively handpicked and then pulped. Coffee is then dry fermented for 16 to 24 hours and washed in clean water to remove any remaining mucilage. The clean parchment is transferred to raised beds where it is sundried for 14 to 20 days. As it dries, parchment is turned regularly to ensure even drying.

After drying, the coffee is hulled and graded according to size with emphasis being on the premium grades which entails grade AA, AB and PB. The grades are then blended to make the DeKUT Premium Coffee which is then roasted as either medium roast or medium dark depending on the customer preference. From the cupping notes, the coffee has enhanced blackcurrant flavor, a chocolate mouthfeel, a sharp acidity, a rounded body and a sweet aftertaste.