September 2025: Podium Platinum. Evans Brothers.
Country: Kenya
Varietals: Batian, SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru 11
Region: Mount Kenya
Process: Washed
Producer: Gachatha Cooperative Farmers Society
Elevation: 1,800 MASL
Tasting notes: Golden raisin, nectarine, burnt sugar, red grapefruit, cooked berry
The coffee:
The Gachatha Cooperative Farmers Society built the Gachatha Factory in 1963, located on 391 acres between four villages in Central Kenya. There are roughly 900 active smallholder farmers, with each farmer growing about 300 coffee trees on less than one hectare of land.
The factory takes certain precautions with waste water and pollutants due to the surrounding areas being densely populated. They use soak pits for water treatment to avoid contamination with fresh water sources, while the community focuses on preserving indigenous plant life to protect local birds and animals.
The plantation benefits from red volcanic soils, altitudes between ~1,800–2,100 m, and average temperatures of 13–24 °C with approximately 1,600 mm of annual rainfall
This coffee represents a classic Kenya, with sugary sweetness and lots of tangy acidity, with notes of golden raisin, nectarine, burnt sugar, red grapefruit, cooked berry, and lemongrass.
The roaster:
Brothers, Rick and Randy Evans, founded Evans Brothers Coffee in the summer of 2009. As passionate skiers, the idea for the company developed over long chairlift rides at Schweitzer Mountain Resort during the winter of 2008/2009. Randy had honed his skills in high-end specialty coffee for over a decade, training alongside some of the industry's best, while Rick brought experience in luxury resort sales and marketing.
Their mission from the beginning has been to create special experiences around coffee. This starts with sourcing the world’s best coffee from passionate farmers and producers, using top-tier roasting equipment to bring out the unique flavors of each bean, and crafting every roast with precision and care.
This approach is rooted in sourcing exceptional beans with attention to quality, sustainability, and cultivating meaningful relationships with farmers. Each coffee chosen tells a story, and is honored through precise roasting techniques that reveal the coffee’s inherent flavors. By following harvest cycles and selecting seasonal coffees, EB ensures that every cup reflects the freshest, most vibrant flavors available.
