Kenya Little Swamps Estate Washed

Origin: Western Rift Valley, Kenya 
Producer: Doris 
Farm: Little Swamps Estate 
Elevation: 2,277 meters above sea level 
Varietal: Batian 
Process: Washed 

Roast: Light 

Tasting Notes: Mango, Apple, Peach.  

Zoka Cupping Score: 88 points

At 2,277 meters above sea level in Kenya’s Western Rift Valley, Little Swamps Estate is the vision of producer Doris, whose quiet determination and deep care for both land and community are evident in every cup.

When Doris acquired the farm in 2019, the land had been depleted by years of wheat and barley farming. Where others may have seen exhausted soil, she saw possibility. With patience and discipline, she rebuilt the farm from the ground up — testing soils, lowering acidity naturally, and relying on organic inputs and nutrient-rich irrigation drawn from the swamps surrounding the estate.

What makes Little Swamps especially remarkable is the way Doris has built community alongside quality. As she established the farm, she intentionally hired women from neighboring villages, providing not only wages, but books, shoes, daycare support, and coffee seedlings so families could begin planting coffee of their own. Her approach to farming is deeply collaborative and rooted in long-term care for both people and place.

The result is a coffee that feels vibrant, expressive, and beautifully composed. Batian varietal cherries are carefully washed and slowly dried on raised beds, producing a cup layered with notes of mango, peach, apple and soft florals.

Photo: Producer Doris and Staff standing next to their raised drying beds.