Little Waves Kenya Marigu AB Whole Bean

12oz / 340g Whole Bean
Notes: Black Currant, Blueberry Jam, Pomegranate, Lemon Frosting
Region: Kiambaa, Kiambu County
Producer: Marigu Estate
Varietal: Ruiru 11
Process: Washed
Elevation: 2200 m
 
From Little Waves:
 
"'We LOVE Kenyan coffees here at Little Waves Coffee. Their classic profile zings in your mouth and leaves a lingering finish that is just like no other coffee. This Kenyan coffee  was selected at the 2025 EXPO when we cupped samples at the IWCA booth led by Mbula Musau of Utake Coffee. Mbula is a force in our industry when it comes to quality control, roasting, and exporting excellent Kenyan coffees by small farmholders. Phyllis Johnson of BD Imports, who helped us get these coffees to us, said "One important highlight of these coffees is not only the coffee itself but the incredible value that Mbula at Utake adds in the supply chain.  Most coffee supply chains for Kenyan coffee are through foreign-owned exporting and multinational channels."
 
Marigu Estate is a medium-large, Rainforest Alliance–certified estate in Kiambaa, Kiambu County, within Kenya’s Central Region. The farm spans 120 acres, with 30% planted in coffee and the remainder in tea—fitting for its location near Limuru, an area long known for high-altitude tea production. Uniquely positioned at the upper edge of coffee-growing elevations (1,980 MASL), Marigu cultivates only the Ruiru 11 variety.
 
Marigu has earned a reputation for exceptional coffee through meticulous processing and a highly organized factory system. Only the ripest cherries are delivered, followed by additional hand-sorting and floating to remove less dense or damaged fruit before de-pulping, fermentation, and washing. After washing, the coffee is soaked in fresh water for 18–24 hours to build the hallmark clarity and structure associated with Kenyan profiles.
 
Drying takes place slowly over roughly two weeks on raised African beds designed for optimal airflow and temperature control. At milling, green coffee is sorted by screen size: the largest beans (17/18 screen) are graded AA, while 15/16 screen lots—like this one—are graded AB.
 
We're excited to have this AB from this region. Most AB coffees I have tasted from Kenya tend to be a bit more on the savory side but the quality really shines through in this AB and we still get that vibrant, zingy cup!"
 
From Sey:
 
"Ruiru 11 is a Catimor hybrid that owes its existence to a coffee berry disease epidemic in 1968 that lead to the loss of 50% of Kenya’s production. The crisis sparked action. In the 1970s, the coffee research station at Ruiru—which gives Ruiru 11 its name—began an intensive breeding program of varieties that are immune to coffee berry disease, ultimately leading to the release of Ruiru 11 in 1985. Batian is resistant to both leaf rust and coffee berry disease. It was created via single-tree selections from fifth filial (F5) generations from the male parent of some Ruiru 11 progenies."