What I’m drinking: Gikirima, Kenya, roasted by Drop Coffee

I first encountered Drop Coffee, a Swedish roaster, on a trip to Berlin back in March. I had already treated myself to a bag of coffee from The Barn, and so when I bought a box of Drop’s Rwanda Nyaruziza I did so with the intention of passing it on to my boss. The fact that I ended up drinking most of it myself is purely a coincidence.

Drop Coffee, which was established in 2009 in Stockholm’s super-cool Södermalm district, is famed for its lightly roasted coffee. Roasters Joanna Alm and Erik Rosendahl roast this way in order to preserve the unique aromas and flavours that are present in each individual coffee at origin. Drop are also passionate about transparency of sourcing, which is why you’ll find plenty of information about your coffee on the box.

The Gikirima is the latest in a string of stunning Kenyans I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy at home. The Gikirima washing station is owned by the Kibugu Co-op Society and is situated in the Embu region of south-east Kenya. The coffee is grown at an altitude of 1800 metres above sea level, in mineral-rich volcanic soil.

On the nose, there’s blackcurrant. Lots of blackcurrant. This becomes all the more apparent in the cup. It has a delicate body and a jammy-to-syrupy mouthfeel, with a long, lasting finish that reminds me of lime cordial.

The Gikirima is currently available online in the Drop Coffee store, and more information about the coffee can be found here.

This piece was originally published on blackcoffeeandotherstories.wordpress.com in December 2014.