This coffee from the Kapsaos washing station in Nandi County, Kenya, is grown at 1700–1900 meters altitude by small-holder farmers. The primary varieties are SL-28 and Batian. This PB (peaberry) separation was harvested in January 2025. It is a washed coffee processed with careful fermentation and rinsing. The cup profile features ripe red fruits like red currant and raspberry when hot, cooling into yellow fruits, citrus, and long honeyed sweetness with balanced acidity.
Origin
Nandi County (Kenya)
Flavor Notes
Raspberry, Citrus Fruit, Honey, Red Currant, Yellow Fruits
Rebecca Grossman and Lucas Smith founded Ilse in 2019, starting with a thousand dollars and a rented roaster in Stamford before building out their own facility in a converted mechanic's garage in North Canaan. The approach is quality-driven: light roasts, single-producer microlots, and a commitment to buying entire harvests from the same farms year after year, some relationships now stretch back to the beginning. Pricing is transparent; each bag lists what the producer was paid, the FOB price, and Ilse's cost. Sourcing focuses on Central and South America and East Africa, with Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia, and Ethiopia appearing regularly.
