Cherrybook.
Prodigal Coffee

Kivanga AA

Washed76Cherry's Index

Cup profile

blackberry · cranberry

Kivanga AA by Prodigal Coffee
Origin
Embu, KE
Farm / Co-op
Kivanga Estate
Process
Washed
Altitude
1750–1750 m
Varietals
sl28,sl34
Harvest
—
Weight
285g
Bag price
$28.00
Price / oz
$2.79/oz
Brew
—

from the roaster’s storeread by Cherrybook from the listing“estimated” below = inferred, not stated

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Price and availability set by the roaster.

Cherrybook last checked this listing today.

Cherry's Index

Evidence-of-quality score, not a cup score. Methodology

76

Strong

Preliminary

Confidence33% coverage / 3 of 7 signals

Score is partially shrunk toward a neutral 50 — read directionally until more source families land.

How confidence affects the score

Coverage measures signal availability, not cup quality. Missing sources are dropped, remaining weights are renormalized, and the result is shrunk toward a neutral 50 baseline by 18% so one thin signal cannot carry the score on its own.

Missing: SCA grade, Coffee Review, Buyer reviews, Cherrybook tastings

  • Reddit sentiment
    Sentiment across specialty-coffee discussion
    85/ 55% weight
  • YouTube reviews
    Sentiment from third-party YouTube reviewer mentions
    85/ 30% weight
  • Roaster transparency
    Producer / farm / lot disclosure depth
    65/ 15% weight

Renormalized base 82.0 shrunk to 76.4 at 83% confidence = 76.

Sensory profileestimated

Flavor wheelestimated

Comps & alternatives

Tasting flight

Taste this against three others Cherry picks.

Brew a set side-by-side. Cherry varies the picks along axes that pair with this lot; origin, process, roast, or producer; so you learn the difference, not just drink four good cups.

Build the flight

Reference · About the varietal & origin

About Prodigal Coffee

Community reputation · Reddit

Cult favorite· sentiment 85/100

Prodigal is highly regarded by enthusiasts, frequently mentioned alongside other top-tier roasters like Sey and Black & White. Users appreciate their high-quality, light-roast offerings, and the roaster is noted for being transparent and communicative regarding business practices like shipping costs. While one user found a specific coffee underwhelming, they noted that adjusting their brewing method significantly improved the cup, reinforcing the roaster's reputation for high-quality, albeit technique-sensitive, beans.

high-quality light roaststransparent communicationfrequently compared to top-tier roasterstechnique-sensitive beanspremium pricing
Threads cited (5)

On YouTube

5 videos · 18k combined views

Outside coverage portrays Prodigal Coffee as a highly technical and process-driven operation led by Scott Rao. Reviewers emphasize the roastery's focus on precision, efficiency, and data-backed roasting methodologies. The content highlights a disciplined approach to equipment management and green coffee preparation that prioritizes consistency and performance.

Technical roasting expertiseHigh-throughput production focusData-driven process optimizationRigorous green coffee managementEmphasis on machine power dynamics

Coverage from others

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Prodigal Coffee

$2.79/oz· $28/bag

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