Kenya Gachatha OT-18 – Onyx Coffee Lab

Andrew Pautler

5 years ago

Coffee Details

Coffee Name

Kenya Gachatha OT-18

Roaster

Onyx Coffee Lab

Roaster Location

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Estimated Price

$22.50 / 12oz

Flavor Profile

White grape, sugar cane, peach, tamarind

Process

Kenya washed & raised-bed dried

Country

Kenya

Region

Nyeri

Elevation

2050 MASL

Producer

Small-hold farmers

Roast

Light

Roast Date

January 1, 1970

Reviewed Date

January 1, 1970

Coffee Scoring

Overall Score

9.3 / 10

Aroma

9 / 10

Body

8 / 10

Flavor

9 / 10

Acidity/Brightness

10 / 10

Balance

9 / 10

Sweetness

9 / 10

Cleanliness

10 / 10

Aftertaste

10 / 10

Complexity

10 / 10

Flexibility

9 / 10

Pros

Wonderful acidity
Interesting progression in each sip from intense acidity up front to more subtle attributes towards the end

Cons

Intense brightness that may not be for everyone
Felt just a bit thin in the body

Onyx sent their Roaster Sampler Box to me to sample a few of their coffees. The set included a variety of coffees from Ethiopia, Kenya, Guatemala & El Salvador. Each coffee was unique and delicious. In this review I’ll be focusing on the sample from Kenya, Kenya Gachatcha OT-18. I’ll be reviewing the Ethiopia and possibly the El Salvador in future reviews.

This coffee comes from the Gachatha Farmers Cooperative Society, which is well known as some of the best coffee coming out of Kenya recently. This one meets those expectations.

That said, you have to like bright coffees to enjoy this cup. Because I do, I thought this coffee was excellent. There is no doubt this coffee hits you in the face right away with a wonderful sweetness and intense brightness. It mellows out as you finish each sip, but even the aftertaste has a lingering acidity.

The Bottom Line

This coffee absolutely takes your mouth for a ride. The progression from the initial brightness into a smooth finish and then back to a lingering acidity in the aftertaste was one of the better flavor progressions I’ve had in awhile. If you enjoy bright, sweet cups of coffee, this is absolutely one you should try.