A Peaberry is the result of a natural mutation in the coffee cherry. Typically, two seeds develop inside each coffee cherry, each with one flat side and one rounded side – peaberries however, only have a single round seed. The peaberry mutation occurs in about 5% of all coffee. Many people search out these smaller, denser, and rounder beans because they’re thought to have a sweeter and more complex flavor profile.
Kii Factory is one of three owned and operated by Rungeto Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS). Rungeto has over 850 members, many of whom deliver cherry to Kii. The factory itself was constructed in 1995, nestled at the foot of Mt. Kenya. The Kii River (fed by the snow run off from Mt. Kenya), which runs nearby, gives the factory both its name and clean water for washing coffee. As with many Kenyan coffees, meticulous detail is largely responsible for the quality of the coffee processed at the Kii Factory. Coffees are sorted upon arrival, to ensure only dense, ripe cherries are accepted. After arrival the coffee is then pulped and fermented for 16-24 hours. From the fermentation tanks, coffees are washed and then soaked for 12 hours, before heading to the drying beds. Many believe that this final soaking phase is what helps to amplify the bright, juicy acidity of Kenyan coffees.
