Dagitu is a portmanteau of Danson, his son Gitu and their familial name Wanyutu. Under their formal sunrame, Karugondo; Danson, his wife Josephine and their children operate the Dagitu farm. The farm is a portion of the Mahathi estate that Danson's father left to his children.

The estate likely came into the family under the Swynnerton Plan in the 1950s, a move by the Bristish colonial government to transfer land ownership to Kenyan families. The Wanyutus were fortunate enough to get a holding of sufficient size to make building their own milling facilities viable.

Fast forward to today; Danson and his siblings are able to grow and process all of their own coffee for export. Under the 2023 "Coffee Bill" the Karugondo family is now able to sell their coffee through agent Wycliffe Murwayi to MCM, from whom we purchased the lot. This supply chain means that we are able to drink coffee from one particular farm, a rarity in Kenyan coffee considering the necessary aggregation that Co-ops undertake.

What's of particular note is that Danson has resisted the introduction of hybridised varietals to his farm, maintaining the SL varietals which've given Kenyan coffee its quality reputation for decades. Whilst this has meant that production quantity on the farm has fallen with climate change, we think the resulting quality in the cup is well worth the additional cost on our end. Dagitu's crop is primarily SL28, probably Kenya's highest regarded varietal, and that's reflected in the cup.

We find very pleasant stone fruit favour in this lot, with a mild bitterness that gives it's bright acidity balance and complexity. The aroma of this coffee is floral and distinct, as soon as you open the bag it's clear that coffee from Dagitu is incredibly high quality. There is, of course, a tonne of sweetness in the cup and a mild caramel note underpinning the entire structure.

Producer: Karugondo Family
Origin: Dagitu Farm/Muhathi Estate/Kiambu/Kenya
Alt: 1690-1720 masl
Varietal: SL28/SL34
Process: Washed Process
Tasting Notes: Floral/Plum/Complex