Kenya Ndaroini PB

Drinking Notes

The dance of flavours begins before you drink it with the aroma of water lily wafting off the surface. The first note to hit the palate is a vibrant burst of raspberry. This interweaves with the water lily and is held up with a smooth, clean sweep of sugarcane juice, offering a natural and unrefined sweetness that lingers in the mouth. It’s a stroll through a raspberry patch wearing a corsage of water lily.

Background

Established in 1984 by Karatina producers, Ndaroni Factory, meaning “place of rest” in Swahili, was a solution to the long distances they had to travel. Here, smallholders bring only ripe cherries for careful selection by the Cherry Clerk.

Post-selection, the cherries are pulped, fermented for 12 to 16 hours, washed, and graded. Parchment then dries on raised beds for 14 to 21 days, with careful raking for consistency and coverage for protection.

The PB affix means peaberry. Peaberries are single beans formed due to a natural mutation. They are rounder than typical beans, which are usually found in pairs, and were thought of as a defect for a long while. However, they are usually sweeter than normal beans and now prized.

In Brief

Producer: Gikanda Farmers Cooperative Society
Region: Karatina Town, Nyeri
Altitude: 1700 m
Varietal: SL28, SL34 & Batian
Process: Washed
Notes: White Lily, Raspberry, Sugarcane