Kenya: Gondo

In the highlands of Murang’a, Gondo brings together the work of hundreds of small farms surrounding the village of Kihoya. Here, coffee is grown at around 1,900 meters above sea level, in a landscape shaped by two distinct rainy seasons and the proximity of Mount Kenya.

Rather than representing a single farm, Gondo is the collective expression of a community. The washing station works with 727 local producers, many cultivating just one or two hectares of land within a short distance of the mill.

Quality begins before the cherries arrive at Gondo. Producers selectively hand-pick ripe fruit and perform an additional post-harvest sorting before delivering their coffee to the washing station. Once received, the cherries are processed the same day, beginning with pulping using fresh water drawn from the nearby Kananahu stream.

The coffee is then fermented for 16 to 18 hours, allowing the remaining mucilage to be carefully removed. From there, the parchment is sun-dried and its moisture monitored throughout the process to maintain consistency before the coffee is finally hulled, graded, and sorted. Water used during processing is recirculated and directed into seepage pits, helping protect the surrounding waterways from acidification.

Gondo presents a gentle and composed expression of Kenyan coffee. Vanilla brings a soft sweetness, followed by the delicate floral character of chamomile and the rounded, familiar richness of almond.

The cup feels clean and graceful, with each note unfolding naturally rather than competing for attention. A beautifully restrained coffee, defined as much by its clarity as by its quiet complexity.