Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee: Grading, Prices, Green Beans and Roasting Guide

Region Introduction

This green coffee comes from the Chakuni processing station in Nyeri, sourced from surrounding family farms. On 0.5 acres (approximately 2023 square meters) of land, about 250 coffee trees are planted. Nyeri has historically been a classic coffee-growing region in Kenya, benefiting from Mount Kenya's environment. About 65% of Kenyan coffee comes from small-scale farmers, while 35% comes from large farms.

Flavor Profile

A classic Kenyan profile: rich and full-bodied, with caramel, blackcurrant and apple, clean and with a long aftertaste of tropical fruit and fresh citrus aroma. The sweetness is like holding mango, plum and other preserves in your mouth. The refreshing lime scent released at medium to low temperatures is like drinking iced fruit tea. A very distinctive cherry tomato flavour, full of the enthusiastic and bold character of African beans.

Understanding Kenya AA Grades

Many people know Kenya AA as the most common marker for Kenyan coffee on the domestic market. In fact, AA is a grade, with AB below it and AA+ and AA TOP (premium) above. If beans are marked only as AA, it generally indicates a unified AA-grade lot with no specific farm or cooperative information, and the flavour may not be the best - it shows only that the bean shape is uniform and meets standards, with a good appearance. If the labelling names a particular farm, cooperative or even purchaser, then those beans, whether AA or AB, are worth trying.

Peaberry (PB) Explained

Now for PB, whose full name is Peaberry and which we often call round beans. Usually a coffee cherry contains two seeds - our common coffee beans, with one curved side and one flat side, similar to a peanut. We call these flat beans. Round beans occur when only one bean develops inside a cherry. The shape is elliptical and it accounts for a very small proportion of the tree's fruit. Round beans are all selected by hand one by one to ensure overall quality, so it is no surprise that they taste good.

Brewing Instructions

Hand-pour Kenya coffee: 15g of coffee, medium-fine grind (3.5 on a Fuji ghost-tooth grinder), V60 dripper, 91-93°C water. First pour 30g of water and let it bloom for 27 seconds. Pour to 105g and stop. When the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, continue slowly until you reach 225g total. Avoid the tail section. The water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

Factory Name: Coffee Workshop
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar Content: Sugar-free
Origin: Kenya
Roast Degree: Light roast

Kenya Nyeri Gaturiri Peaberry

Country: Kenya
Grade: TOP PB
Region: Nyeri
Roast Level: Light roast
Processing Method: Washed
Varieties: SL 28, SL 34
Processing Station: Chakuni Processing Station
Flavor Notes: Plum, green grapes, cherry tomatoes

Kenya Nyeri Thagrini Peaberry Farm Introduction

Kenya, in East Africa, is one of the major coffee-producing countries. About six million people nationwide work in the coffee industry, mostly in a combination of small farmers and cooperatives. Kenya's coffee trees are mostly grown at altitudes of 1400-2000 meters. Growing regions include Ruiri, Thika, Kirinyaga, Mt. Kenya West, Nyeri, Kiambu and Muranga, mainly on the foothills of Mt. Kenya and the Aberdare range. Many regions in Kenya strive to preserve native forest ecosystems, protect natural gene banks, support the propagation of wild coffee varieties and nurture diverse coffee trees.

The SL Varieties: Kenya's Coffee Heritage

In the early 20th century, French and British missionaries and researchers selected and bred Bourbon-lineage varieties in Kenya. Over the past century these adapted to Kenya's high-phosphate soil, creating the special acidity and aromatic spirit of Kenyan beans, distinct from Central and South American Bourbon beans. This Kenyan native variety was created in 1930 by Scott Laboratories, abbreviated SL. Agronomists wanted a Bourbon variety resistant to disease and pests with high yield. Through experiments they obtained SL28, a genetic variant with a mixed lineage of French missionary, Mocha and Yemen Typica. The original goal of breeding SL28 was to mass-produce beans combining high quality with disease and pest resistance. Although SL28's later yield was not as high as expected, its copper-coloured leaves and broad bean shape offer wonderful sweetness, balance and complex, varied flavours, as well as significant citrus and plum characteristics. This important variety introduced the unique Kenyan style: strong, rich fruit acidity, full body and beautiful balance. Kenya AA is one of these.

SL28 is a delicious variety suited to medium and high altitudes with serious leaf rust problems. It can produce 1.8 tons of green beans per hectare. Only when you taste the charming berry acidity can you truly appreciate Kenya's national treasure.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this Kenyan cup has you thinking about the world's most famous balanced coffee, look to Jamaica Blue Mountain. True Blue Mountain comes only from the designated area of Jamaica's Blue Mountains and must be officially certified; the range lies in eastern Jamaica, with its highest peak at 2,256 meters, and its year-round mist is what gives the mountain its name. FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is the top grade, from the historic Clifton estate, which has been growing and processing coffee since around 1750 and sits at an average of 4,300 feet (1,310.64 meters). It is roasted medium-dark and shipped within 5 days of roasting, giving a clean, complex, very gentle cup with chocolate sweetness and strong body: cream, caramel, chocolate, nuts and honey layering over soft fruit, with a clean, long finish. FrontStreet keeps full origin certification and the original wooden transport barrels - traditional Blue Mountain is shipped in 15kg, 45kg and 70kg barrels, and each barrel is itself a mark of authenticity. For pour-over, FrontStreet suggests a Kono dripper, 15g of beans rested 4-7 days, a grind a little coarser than for light roasts (roughly white sugar), 87-88°C water and a 1:15 ratio, pouring in three stages: 30g for a 30-second bloom, then to 120g, then to 225g.