Coffee culture

Kenya PB Flavor Profile and Best Kenyan Coffee Brands

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional barista discussions - follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat ID: cafe_style). SL28 is a delicious variety suitable for cultivation in medium to high altitude areas with limited leaf rust disease, yielding 1.8 tons of green beans per hectare. Experiencing the captivating berry-like acidity truly represents Kenya's national treasure. Many people are familiar with Kenyan AA as the most common标识 for Kenyan coffee in domestic markets, but actually AA is Kenya's

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SL28: A Premium Coffee Variety

SL28 is a delicious variety suitable for cultivation in medium to high altitude areas where leaf rust disease is not severe. It can yield 1.8 tons of green beans per hectare. When you experience the captivating plum-like acidity, you can truly appreciate why it's considered Kenya's national treasure.

Understanding Kenya AA Grading

Many people are familiar with Kenya AA, which is the most common marker for Kenyan coffee in domestic markets. However, AA is actually a grade of Kenyan coffee. Below it are AB grades, and above it are AA+ and AA TOP (premium). If coffee is only labeled as AA, it generally indicates that the coffee is a unified AA grade without specific farm or cooperative origin, meaning the flavor might not be the best—only that the bean shape meets standards for uniformity and good appearance. However, if the labeling specifies a particular farm, cooperative, or even purchaser, then this coffee, whether AA or AB grade, is worth trying.

Kenya: A Premier Coffee Producing Region

Located in East Africa, Kenya is one of the world's major coffee-producing countries, with approximately six million people engaged in the coffee industry, mostly in a combination of small farms and cooperatives. Kenya's coffee trees are predominantly grown at altitudes between 1,400-2,000 meters, with growing regions including Ruiri, Thika, Kirinyaga, Mt. Kenya West, Nyeri, Kiambu, and Muranga. The foothills of Mt. Kenya and Aberdare are the main areas. Many of Kenya's growing regions strive to preserve native forest ecosystems, protect natural gene banks, support wild coffee variety propagation, and nurture diverse coffee trees.

Regional Profile

This green bean comes from the Chakuni processing station in Nyeri, produced by surrounding family farms. On 0.5 acres (approximately 2,023 square meters) of land, about 250 coffee trees are planted. Nyeri has historically been a classic coffee-producing region in Kenya, backed by Mount Kenya and possessing an excellent environment suitable for coffee cultivation. The majority of Kenyan coffee comes from small-scale farmers (about 65%), with large farms accounting for about 35%.

Flavor Profile

Classic Kenyan character with richness and high body. Notes of caramel, blackcurrant, and apple create a clean, long-lasting finish with abundant tropical fruits and fresh citrus aromatics. The sweet, fresh taste is like holding mango and plum preserves in your mouth. At medium to low temperatures, a refreshing lime aroma emerges, reminiscent of drinking iced fruit tea! Very distinctive cherry tomato flavor!! Full of the passionate, bold character typical of African beans!

Understanding Peaberry (PB)

Now let me introduce PB, short for Peaberry, which we often call round beans. Typically, a coffee cherry contains two seeds—these are the common coffee beans we know, with one curved side and one flat side, similar to peanut shape, which we call flat beans. Peaberries, however, occur when only one coffee bean develops inside a coffee cherry. The bean shape is oval, and they account for a very small proportion of the entire coffee tree's fruit. Peaberries are all selected one by one by hand, ensuring overall quality, so it's no surprise they taste excellent.

Brewing Method: Pour-Over Kenya

For pour-over Kenyan coffee: Use 15g of coffee, ground to medium-fine consistency (Fujiyama serrated burr grinder setting 3.5), V60 dripper, water temperature 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water and let it bloom for 27 seconds. Then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level drops to halfway in the coffee bed, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g. Discard the final tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, FrontStreet Coffee
Manufacturer Contact: 020-38364473
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 grape, cherry tomato

Kenya Nyeri Thagrini Peaberry Farm Profile

Selected and bred by French and British missionaries and researchers in Kenya in the early 20th century, these are direct descendants of Bourbon. Over the past century, they have adapted to Kenya's high-phosphate soil, nurturing the special acidic aroma spirits of Kenyan beans, distinct from Bourbon varieties in Central and South America. This Kenyan native variety was created in 1930 by Scott Laboratories (abbreviated as SL). Agronomists wanted to find a Bourbon variety that was disease-resistant and high-yielding. Through experiments, they developed SL28.

SL28 is a genetic variant with mixed lineage from French missionaries, Mocha, and Yemeni Typica. The original goal of breeding SL28 was to mass-produce coffee beans that combined high quality with disease resistance. Although SL28's yield later turned out to be not as high as expected, its copper-colored leaves and broad-bean-shaped beans offer wonderful sweetness, balance, and complex, varied flavors, along with distinctive citrus and plum characteristics. This important variety leads us to understand the unique Kenyan style: intense, rich fruit acidity, full body, and beautiful balance. Kenya AA is one such example.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473

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