The Docha Estate is unique in a few different ways – location, management and traceability. Sitting on the outskirts of Nairobi, it is certainly rare to find a farm producing top quality speciality grade coffees in an area where most of the land is rapidly being developed with housing and infrastructure. 

Growing the classic Kenyan cultivars of SL28 and SL34 in the rich volcanic soils of the district of Kiambu, Danson Wanyutu Karugondo uses his experience of growing up on the Docha Estate along with new techniques taught by Kenyacof to maximise both output and quality. Using organic chicken and cow manure compost, prudent application of fertiliser alongside considered pruning schedules, the quality from the Docha estate has steadily increased. This lot was processed in the traditional Kenyan fashion: fully washed and double soaked, whereby the clean parchment is submerged and fermented a second time, stabilising the moisture in the beans and improving the cleanliness of the flavours and the stability of the green coffee when it is stored.

Producing small lots of independently produced and processed coffees - even very high quality ones - is not enough to guarantee traceable export in a country that is typically set up to process full containers. Securing Danson's coffee was made possible through a partnership with local exporter Kenyacof, whose dry mill allows milling of the coffee down to a single bag lot whilst retaining full traceability, thus completing the package on this unique and tasty coffee.

  Caravan Coffee Roasters are proud members of 1% for the Planet. For more information please visit https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org

BREWING GUIDE   

Kenyan coffees can have quite punchy acidities as espresso. To balance them out, we typically look for longer shots where the additional water helps to blunt their sharp edges. Try shots at 18g in, 42-45g out and pulled over 32-35 seconds. In milk, expect big flavours of Cherry Bakewell tart.