Love Letters Charming Coffees
Kathima Factory - Embu, Kenya - Washed Process
Kathima Factory - Embu, Kenya - Washed Process
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Ships directly from Love Letters Charming Coffees, freshly roasted for your order. US delivery is typically 2–6 business days. Orders with coffees from more than one roaster arrive as separate boxes. Shipping & freshness →
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Tasting Notes
Specific flavors and aromas the roaster (or our team) noticed when cupping this coffee. They describe the brewed cup, not flavorings added to the beans.
Read more in the glossary →-
Roast Level
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Roast Level
How dark the beans are roasted, on a 'specialty' scale where Light/Ultralight preserves the most origin character.
Read more in the glossary → - Specialty Light/Ultralight
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Flavor Profile
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Flavor Profile
High-level flavor families this coffee leans toward — fruity, floral, sweet, chocolate/nutty, spicy, tea/botanical, or fermented/wine-like.
Read more in the glossary → - Floral, Fruity
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Origin Type
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Coffee Type
Whether a coffee is a single origin (from one farm, region, or country) or a blend (multiple origins combined).
Read more in the glossary → - Single Origin
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Flavor Notes
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Flavor Notes (SCA)
More specific flavor families inside the broader profile, using the SCA Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel — e.g. 'Citrus' and 'Berry' inside 'Fruity'.
Read more in the glossary → - Floral, Other Fruit
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Caffeine
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Caffeine
Whether this coffee is caffeinated or decaffeinated, and (for decaf) which process was used.
Read more in the glossary → - Caffeinated
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Country of Origin
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Country of Origin
Where in the world this coffee was grown, or 'Multiple' for a blend with beans from more than one country.
Read more in the glossary → - Kenya
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Process Type
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Processing
How the coffee cherry was prepared after picking — dried with or without its fruit, fermented under specific conditions, etc. Big effect on the final cup.
Read more in the glossary → - Washed
Kathima Factory is located in Manyata Sub-county within Embu County, the factory operates under the Thambana Farmers Cooperative Society, which supports a total membership of around 4,500 farmers. Of these, approximately 2,200 actively deliver cherry to Kathima, making it a significant and reliable supply point within the cooperative.
Production here is driven by smallholder farmers, most of whom manage modest plots averaging around 250 trees. Despite the small scale, attention to detail at farm level is high. Growers cultivate a mix of traditional and modern Kenyan varieties, including SL28 and SL34—both known for their complexity and cup quality— and Ruiru 11, which brings improved disease resistance and higher productivity. This combination allows farmers to balance quality with resilience, an important factor in maintaining consistent output year after year.
At Kathima, cherries are carefully sorted before pulping, then fermented to remove mucilage under controlled conditions. After fermentation, the parchment is thoroughly washed and, in many cases, soaked in clean water—a step that can further enhance cup clarity and brightness. Drying takes place on raised beds, where the coffee is regularly turned and protected from excessive heat and moisture to ensure even and stable drying.
All of this culminates in an exceptionally nuanced cup, we taste:
When hot there is a gentle aroma of red fruits like raspberry and rainier cherry jam. There is a floral and black tea like aroma as well. On the palate expect tons of jammy rose and dried rose supported by vivacious acidity like green grape and tart cherry. As the cup cools this profile remains but the body and mouthfeel become structured and pleasantly tannic, with a lingering aftertaste.
