The Process
At the top of the rugged, 4200 ft Bolaven Plateaus, obscured from heat and cold by immortal mist and jungle canopy, our Robusta matures at a consistent 65-70⁰F. The cool and humid microclimate slows the development of fruit, while the lively volcanic soil provides a balance of nutrients that yields the richest possible coffee.
Mountain Grown
Personally Harvested
All of our Robusta is grown by farmer-owners on small, 2-4 acre lots. Size and ownership mean that our farmers carefully tend each tree before and during harvest season. When time comes to pick, individual trees are visited multiple times to ensure that only the ripest and sweetest coffee cherries are harvested. Each grape-like cherry contains two green beans.
Both after harvesting and after honey processing, our farmers gather together and hand sort each cherry and bean to ensure that all defects are separated. These critical steps define KAFE as a specialty Robusta coffee. After the tedious work is done, villages party deep into the night to celebrate!
Hand Sorted
Honey Processed
After the cherries are sorted, the mucilage and beans are mechanically extracted. Here we break from tradition: instead of washing the mucilage off the beans to speed-dry the coffee, we leave the mucilage on. This allows it to impart its natural sweetness to the beans over the next three weeks of constant turning and monitoring. The sweet, smooth results are worth the extra love!
To achieve bean to bean consistency and develop the full flavor potential of our Honey Robusta, we use an innovative method of small batch air roasting. By floating the beans on a bed of heated air, we protect them from the super-heated metal surfaces in traditional drum roasters, eliminating scorching for a pure, clean taste.
Small Batch Air Roasted
