Karatina Natural: Natural Process Medium-dark Roast

Arabica Specialty Coffee · Natural Process · Grade: Natural Heavy · Cup Score: 86/100. Tasting Notes: Fruity · Floral · Winey · Sweet

The Origin

Karatina sits in the heart of Nyeri County — one of Kenya's most celebrated coffee-growing regions. At 1,900 metres above sea level, on the fertile volcanic slopes surrounding Mount Kenya, the conditions here are close to ideal. Cool nights, warm days, and rich red soil create the slow ripening environment that builds complexity in every cherry.
Karatina's coffee is processed at cooperatives and washing stations with deep roots in the region — organisations built around smallholder farmers who have been perfecting their craft for generations.

The Process

This is a natural process lot — one of the rarer processing methods in Kenya, where washed coffees dominate. Here, the whole cherry is dried intact on raised beds, allowing the fruit sugars to ferment slowly and transfer directly into the bean over several weeks.
The result is a cup that carries the full character of the fruit — heavier, sweeter, and more complex than a washed lot from the same region. Done carefully, natural process Kenyan coffee is one of the most distinctive cups on earth. This lot was done carefully.

The Cup

Fruity. Dark berry and tropical fruit notes that arrive early and stay long.
Floral. A delicate, almost perfumed quality in the aroma that lifts the entire cup.
Winey. That characteristic natural process depth — reminiscent of a good red wine. Complex, layered, lingering.
Sweet. Brown sugar and honey sweetness in the finish that rounds everything out.

Cup score: 86/100. Grade: Natural Heavy. This is a coffee that rewards attention — taste it at different temperatures and notice how it evolves.

The Details

Brew Recommendations

This coffee shines brightest through methods that highlight body and sweetness:

→ French Press — lets the full body and fruit character develop without filtration

→ Pour Over / V60 — brings out the floral notes and clarifies the fruit

→ Espresso — concentrated and intense — the winey, fruity notes become something extraordinary

Water temperature: 90–93°C. Ratio: 1:15 for filter, 1:2 for espresso. Allow 10–14 days rest after roast date before brewing for best results.

Roasted in Nairobi. Shipped fresh across Kenya and worldwide.

Every bag is traceable to its origin — because great coffee deserves a full story.

Life & Love. Over A Drink. ☕🌿