Laying on the land in the shape of a giant stingray with its snout pointing up the south-eastern slope of mighty Mt. Kenya, the Embu coffee region upholds the reputation of the brilliancy of Kenyan coffees. Offerings grown here tend to carry notes of dark fruits and berries with hints of chocolate and browned sugars along with rounded, balanced citrus acidity and full body. In a perfect trifecta of natural endowments beloved by coffee trees, the red volcanic soil is rich in nutrients, altitudes range from 1200-1800 MASL, and abundant rainfall helps Embu produce approximately 900,000 kgs per year of coffee.
Adjacent to the Kirinyaga coffee region’s eastern side, Embu county’s local ethnicities are mostly Embu, Kamba, and Mbeere people groups, 88% of whom find their livelihood in agricultural pursuits. Legislation here is increasingly favorable to coffee producers, working to make direct trade and incentives for high quality coffee more and more common.