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Kenya Washed AA Grade Kirinyaga Kabare Kongyu Flavor Profile, Growing Region, and Brewing Parameters

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional barista exchange, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). According to botanists at the SL Laboratory, SL28 and SL34 are genetic variants. Among them, SL28 possesses a mixed lineage of French Mission, Mocha, and Yemeni Typica. The original goal in developing SL28 was to produce large quantities of coffee beans that combined high quality with resistance to pests and diseases. Although later SL2

For professional barista exchanges, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

SL Varieties: Genetic Heritage and Flavor Profiles

According to botanists at Scott Laboratories, SL28 and SL34 are genetic variants. Among them, SL28 possesses mixed lineage from French Mission, Mocha, and Yemeni Typica. The original goal of developing SL28 was to mass-produce coffee beans that combined high quality with resistance to pests and diseases.

Although SL28's yield later turned out to be not as massive as expected, its copper-colored leaves and broad bean shape produce wonderful sweetness, balance, and complexly varied flavors, as well as distinctive citrus and dark plum characteristics. SL34 has similar flavors to SL28, but besides its complexly varied acidity and wonderful sweet finish, it has a heavier, richer body than SL28, and is cleaner. SL34 possesses French Mission, Bourbon, and more Typica lineage. The bean appearance is similar to SL28, but it's better adapted to sudden heavy rains. It is these two important varieties that have led us to understand the unique Kenyan style: intensely rich fruit acidity, rich body, and beautiful balance.

Flavor Description

Intense lemon and plum aromas in both dry and wet fragrance. When light-roasted and sipped, it presents stunning floral and lemon aromas, along with the sweet-tart juiciness of grapefruit green tea and citrus juice. With a slightly darker roast, it reveals various flavors of honey and raspberry black plum. The aftertaste offers the pleasant sweet-tart flavor of green tea.

Origin and Processing

This Kenyan coffee comes from the Kongyu Processing Factory, Kabare Cooperative Society, in the Kirinyaga growing region. It uses the Kenyan double-washed processing method and grows on the eastern slopes of the Kenyan mountains in the Manyatta-Embu County at altitudes of 1550-1750 meters. The varieties are the classic Kenyan SL28 and SL34. Combined with the large temperature difference between day and night and Kenya's red phosphorus soil, sweet-tart flavors become the main flavor profile of this Kenyan coffee.

The fresh coffee cherries of this batch of Kongyu AA are picked and processed by 250 farmers from the Kongyu Processing Factory under the Kabare Farmers' Cooperative Society. After being pulped, fermented, and washed with water from the nearby Kongyu River, the coffee is placed on African drying beds for drying. Each harvesting season, farmers will process nearly 300 tons of fresh coffee cherries. After processing is completed, it will participate in the weekly coffee auction held every Wednesday in Nairobi. Once selected by a legal exporter, it will be shipped to consumer markets around the world.

Tasting Experience

In every previous Kenyan coffee, we particularly enjoyed pursuing those sharp, powerful fruit acids. But this Kenyan coffee made me feel gentleness, like facing the sea with a gentle breeze blowing.

Product Information

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Qianjie, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
Manufacturer Contact: 020-38364473
Shelf Life: 90 days
Net Content: 227g
Packaging: Bulk coffee beans
Degree of Roasting: Roasted coffee beans
Contains Sugar: Sugar-free
Origin: Kenya
Coffee Type: Other
Roast Level: Light roast

Brewing Method

Hand-pour Kongyu. 15g powder, medium-fine grind (小富士鬼齿刀3.5 grind), V60 dripper, water temperature 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water, steam for 27 seconds, pour to 105g water then stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then pour again. Slowly pour until reaching 225g water. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15. Extraction time 2:00.

Coffee Specifications

Country: Kenya
Grade: AA
Region: Kirinyaga growing region
Altitude: 1550-1750 meters
Soil: Red phosphorus soil
Processing Method: Kenyan double-washed processing method
Varieties: SL 28, SL 34
Processing Factory: Kongyu Processing Factory
Producer: Kabare Cooperative Society
Flavor: Grapefruit green tea, citrus, raspberry black plum

Kenya Coffee Background

Located in East Africa, Kenya is one of the major coffee-producing countries, with about six million people nationwide engaged in the coffee industry, mostly in the form of smallholders and cooperatives.

Kenya's coffee trees are mostly planted 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 Aberdare.

In Kenya, many growing regions strive to preserve the native forest ecosystem, protect natural gene banks, support the propagation of wild coffee varieties, and nurture diverse coffee trees.

In 1930, the unique Kenyan varieties SL28 and SL34, cultivated and named by "Scott Laboratories," were born in such a favorable environment.