Kenya Nyeri Aguthi Thageini

On Valentine’s Day I had the unique opportunity of going skiing with my daughter’s class, through a program hosted by Squaw Valley, called Skiducks. The kids had the choice to learn skiing or snowboarding (it was pretty equally divided), and their equipment was provided along with a lesson. Many of the kids had never been on the slopes before, and their progress throughout the day was impressive. I watched kids who didn’t know how to put on their skis finish the day getting on and off a lift and successfully skiing down the hill.

Two girls ready to ski

As you can imagine, the progress was all over the spectrum–some kids learned a lot, some struggled to get upright on skis/snowboards. Some enjoyed the feeling of speed, some were terrified by it. I have never been much of a skier, but I completely enjoyed helping the kids improve in their own way. And my own daughter, who loves snow, enjoyed the day, despite finishing with a slope that was beyond her ability.

This week we are featuring a coffee from a country that doesn’t get snow, except at the top of Mount Kenya. This is our Kenya Nyeri Aguthi Thageini. Nyeri is a county in central Kenya, that is known for great coffee. These beans come from small family farms on the slopes of the Aberdares Mountains, to the west of Mount Kenya.

These farms produce coffee intercropped with shade trees, bananas, and macadamias. The farmers are part of the Aguthi Cooperative, and process their coffee at the Thageini Factory. The factory is a wet mill, and the coffee is fully washed and dried on raised beds. Much care is taken with the processing, and it shows in the final product.

In the cup this is a sweet drink, with citrus flavors and notes of dried cherries and plums. It’s delicious, and you can try some on us this week with the code snow day*. I can only hope that we have more snow days this winter: we certainly need it. In other news, check out this article about coffee being grown in southern California. We talk regularly about what a special area we live in: maybe I should mention more often what a unique state this is? From ski slopes to coffee farms, California has it all.

Enjoy your holiday weekend, if you have President’s Day off. We will be open regular hours (6 am to 5:30 pm) for all of your coffee needs. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Kenya Nyeri Aguthi Thageini. Code expires on 02.22.18. Limit one free cup per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, 128 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA. Code/Offer has no cash value.