The third addition to our Kenyan lineup for this year once again from the incredible Gloria Gummerus. Unlike her other lots we have this year, this coffee is a blend of SL28, SL34 and Batian. This coffee maintains a beautiful clean profile whilst presenting a slightly rounder, sweeter cup that the microlots. We find that this coffee works great as that everyday batch or even pulls deliciously for a nice high acidity espresso.
About Sakami
We have been mesmerised by the work of Sakami since long before we started von&vonnie, the coffees we work with such as the Batian microlot from Gloria and now also her SL28, are a fantastic representation of the care and love that this group put into their coffee. Sakami is admittedly a project that we fell in love with because of the way the coffee tasted, but then the more we learnt the more we fell in love with the work they are doing.
Sakami is located in the Trans-Nzoia county and operates with a different model to traditional Kenyan coffee, where usually lots are a collation of thousands of small holders. The lots at Sakami are larger, single farmer lots with much greater transparency and traceability to show who is involved in these projects. It is an area that was not seen as being ideal for coffee growing, but Sakami are pioneers in recognising this region as a fantastic area, with 1,800Masl average altitude, cool temperatures and volcanic soils being perfect for Arabica.
The project was founded by Gloria Gummerus, who’s name you will surely recognise from our bags, she is one of the producers of the group, but not the only one, Rosabella, Jane, Shantelle to name a few are also producing exceptional coffees that we hope to one day also showcase.
One of the fundamental differences is that Sakami operates on its own to market and sell its own coffees, allowing them to extract greater value from the supply chain. Recently we had the opportunity to sit with Gloria and her husband Jarmo to talk about the project, it is really inspiring, they do not only produce coffee, despite it being their key commodity, but also they are producing avocados and macadamia. Gloria told us that she is currently trying to sell avocados in the European market.
Sakami separates itself from traditional Kenyan supply chains by offering dry processed coffees as well as wet, Kenya is typically known for washed coffees, but we have become infatuated by the naturals coming from this group as they are truly rich in red fruits. They also offer single cultivar, which we particularly enjoy as typically we see SL28, 34, Ruiru 11, K7 and Batian as blends, but when we get them individually, they really sing in their own ways with fantastic fidelity.
About the processing: Ripe coffee cherries are handpicked and then spread out to dry in the sun with the fruit still intact. This drying process, which can take several weeks, ensures that the cherries reach the desired moisture content. Once fully dried, the outer fruit layer is removed through hulling to reveal the green coffee beans. This method results in a fuller-bodied coffee with pronounced sweetness and fruity flavors, offering a rich and complex taste profile.
About the Roast: We wanted this one to be a true all rounder, for pulling on espresso and on batch and maintaining that crisp acidity yet presenting a sweet cup. So we roasted this just a little more than our usual on these Gloria Kenya's to really emphasise those characteristics. Roast Level: Light (93 Agtron)
About the coffee:
Region: Barbeton, Kiminini, Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya.
Altitude: 1,800 MASL
Importer: ThisSideUp
Exporter: Sakami
Harvest: Januray 2026
Farmgate price: Work in Progress
FOB Price: Work in Progress
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