Kenya Coffee Bean Flavor Description and Taste Characteristics | Kenya Coffee Growing Varieties and Origin Information

For more premium coffee knowledge, please follow the official WeChat account: FrontStreet Coffee

Africa has always been one of the world's finest coffee-producing regions, globally renowned for its floral and fruity acidic flavors. Coffee is an integral part of African life. Whether in the deepest reaches of the remote East African Rift Valley, the Masai Mara grasslands where Maasai nomads roam, in cities or villages, the aroma of coffee always permeates the air. Following this scent, people pause, savor, and use a cup of coffee to carve out those endless African moments.

Of course, the most familiar to many is Ethiopian coffee, especially the washed Yirgacheffe coffee with its jasmine fragrance and lemon acidity that leaves an unforgettable aftertaste. However, Kenya certainly does not fall short. Kenyan coffee's cherry tomato-like full body and fruit acidity fill the entire palate, renowned worldwide for its rich aroma and balanced acidity, beloved by numerous coffee connoisseurs.

Kenyan Coffee Producing Country

As coffee beans from Africa, they clearly have completely different flavors from Ethiopian coffee, which depends on Kenya's growing environment and climate. Located in East Africa, Kenya sits exactly on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to the east, Ethiopia to the north, and Tanzania to the south. It is a major coffee-producing country in East Africa and one of the most important and irreplaceable producing nations.

Kenya belongs to tropical producing regions with two rainy seasons annually, allowing for two harvests: 60% concentrated from October to December, and the remaining 40% from June to August. Coffee is mainly grown in volcanic soil at altitudes of 1600-2100 meters around the capital Nairobi to the Kenyan highlands. This altitude is ideal for coffee flavor development, as mountain temperatures are lower, growth is slower, allowing the aromatic components of coffee beans to fully develop, resulting in more prominent fruit acidity and harder texture. This crescent-shaped, fertile coffee region is the main source of Kenya's premium coffee beans.

Kenyan Coffee History

Every coffee-producing country has its history and legends about coffee. Let's explore what Kenya's coffee development history looks like? In 1878, the British introduced coffee to Africa. In the 19th century, coffee plantations were established in Kenya, where Ethiopian coffee beverages were imported via South Yemen at the time. However, it wasn't until the early 20th century that Bourbon coffee trees were introduced to Kenya by the St. Austin Mission.

After Kenya gained independence in 1964, the coffee industry continued to develop based on its existing foundation. Today, it has become a world-renowned high-quality coffee-producing country. Notably, they established an auction system that successfully摆脱了其他产豆国剥削小农的弊病（所谓的"公平贸易咖啡"就是由此而来）。

Kenyan Coffee Varieties

We know there are many coffee varieties, such as Arabica, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, etc. In Kenya, common varieties include SL28, SL34, French Mission Bourbon, and Ruiru 11. FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan coffee varieties are also SL28 and SL34. What exactly are these varieties?

As early as the 1930s, the Kenyan government commissioned the newly established Scott Labs to select varieties suitable for the country. After individually numbering and screening 42 preliminary varieties, they ultimately selected SL-28 and SL-34. The former originated from Bourbon, while SL-34 originated from Typica—the two are not varieties from the same series. The original goal in developing SL28 was to mass-produce coffee beans that combined high quality with disease and pest resistance. In some producing regions, the breeding goal was primarily high yield and disease resistance, without considering disease resistance.

Thanks to its Bourbon genetics, although SL28's later yield didn't meet expectations, its copper-colored leaves and broad bean shape offer wonderful sweetness, balance, and complex, varied flavors, as well as significant citrus and plum characteristics. SL34 has similar flavors to SL28—besides its complex, varied acidity and wonderful sweet finish, its mouthfeel is softer and cleaner than SL28. SL34 has French Mission, Bourbon, and more Typica bloodlines. The bean appearance is similar to SL28, and it adapts better to rainforest growth.

These two varieties, SL28 and SL34, currently account for 90% of Kenya's production, becoming the generally recognized representative varieties of Kenyan coffee. Currently, South America is also actively introducing SL28 as a planting variety.

Ruiru 11: In 1985, during a global leaf rust outbreak, Kenya developed this hybrid variety that prioritized yield over quality. However, its flavor quality is far inferior to the previous SL28 and SL34, and it hasn't gained traction in the specialty coffee industry. Nevertheless, many even premium coffee importers mix this hybrid bean into blends to reduce costs.

Kenyan Coffee Classification

There are many methods for classifying coffee beans, and different producing countries have different classification systems. Some classify by size, some by altitude, some by defect rates... So what are Kenyan coffee beans classified by?

Kenyan coffee beans began using a strict classification system in the 1930s, mainly based on the size, shape, and hardness of the coffee beans, classified from high to low as AA or AA+, AB, PB, C, E, TT, T. This can be used as a selection criterion and also references coffee flavor. Currently, common grades in the mass market are AA, AB, and PB. Kenyan AA is renowned worldwide for its rich aroma and balanced acidity, beloved by numerous coffee connoisseurs.

E (Elephant Bean): Here, "E" stands for "Elephant," but this is not the elephant bean variety among coffee bean types. Rather, it's a defect caused by abnormal development where two seeds intertwine, forming what appears to be a single bean. Generally, one fruit contains two seeds that face each other, resulting in one flat side—these are called flat beans, female beans, or twin beans. E-grade occurs when two seeds fuse together during growth, becoming oversized beans. E-grade particles are about 18 mesh (one mesh equals 1/64 inch) or larger and are rare.

AA: This grade's size falls between 17-18 mesh (approximately 6.7-7.1mm), and is the most commonly heard Kenyan coffee classification. In specialty coffee, this grade is usually called AA TOP and is the type that many coffee shops promote. However, AA doesn't necessarily mean it's the best—this only refers to bean size and shouldn't be confused with flavor.

AB: Most coffee beans fall into this classification. It's called AB mainly because A filter holes are 6.80mm while B are 6.20mm, and these two sizes of coffee beans (A-grade and B-grade) are sold mixed together, hence called AB. The size is about 15-16 mesh (approximately 6.0-6.4mm).

C: Particle size falls between 14-15 mesh (approximately 5.6-6.0mm), smaller than B-grade.

PB: Called Peaberry in English, mostly referred to as small round beans in Taiwan, but can also be called male beans or single瓣 beans. Compared to ordinary flat beans, these are also quite rare, accounting for about 10% of all coffee beans. This mainly occurs because only one seed develops fully inside the fruit, resulting in small, round beans. Some people particularly love PB's flavor, so PB beans are selected and sold separately.

TT: These coffee beans are lightweight beans filtered from AA and AB beans through air separators. They are usually lightweight, don't meet hardness standards, and include broken and defective beans.

Kenyan Processing Methods

FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan coffee uses the washed processing method 【Washed Kenyan Coffee Beans—Asali】

This bean comes from the Asali processing plant in Kenya's Thika region. The Thika region is located in central Kenya and contains the highest altitude coffee-growing areas within the region. Thika itself is a sub-region located at the foot of the Aberdare mountain range, with red volcanic soil rich in organic matter. The processing method is the K72 washed processing method, which gives the coffee brighter, cleaner, yet full flavors!

Kenyan 72-Hour Fermentation Washed Processing Method

Originating in Kenya, this method uses a cyclic repeat process of fermentation followed by washing. Processing begins on the harvest day, where the highest quality cherries are selected for pulping and fermentation, with a fermentation time of 24 hours. After 24 hours, they are washed with clean river water. Then, they undergo another 24-hour fermentation in clean river water, followed by washing. After repeating this cycle 3 times to reach 72 hours, it's called the Kenyan 72-hour fermentation washed processing method, abbreviated as K72.

After such processing, aren't you eager to taste a cup of Kenyan coffee? Of course, if you want to drink a delicious cup of coffee, FrontStreet Coffee has some brewing suggestions:

FrontStreet Coffee believes that coffee bean freshness is a very important factor in drinking delicious coffee. Fresh coffee beans allow you to experience the rich flavors of coffee to the greatest extent. Coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are all roasted within 5 days, because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that coffee bean freshness greatly affects flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Good Coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee when it arrives. The coffee resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at its peak flavor.

Of course, some customers need FrontStreet Coffee to grind their beans, which is also fine. However, FrontStreet Coffee must remind you: when coffee beans are ground in advance, there's no need for a resting period, because the pressure from carbon dioxide buildup in the package during transport can also help mellow the coffee flavor, so you can brew a cup immediately upon receiving the ground coffee. However, ground coffee needs to be brewed promptly, because ground coffee oxidizes faster when exposed to air, meaning the coffee flavor will dissipate more quickly, and the coffee won't taste as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends purchasing whole beans and grinding fresh before brewing to better experience the coffee's flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan Coffee Brewing Parameters:

FrontStreet Coffee chose: V60 dripper, water temperature 90°C, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, coffee amount 15g, grind size (China No.20 standard sieve 80% pass rate)

Using segmented extraction, bloom with twice the coffee weight in water, that is, 30g water for 30 seconds. The blooming process is necessary to allow the coffee grounds to release internal carbon dioxide gas, thereby making the subsequent extraction more stable. With a small water stream, pour in circles to 125g, then continue pouring to 225g and stop. Once the water finishes dripping from the dripper, remove it. Start timing from when water is first poured—extraction time is 2'00". Next, pick up the entire cup of coffee, shake it well, then pour into cups for tasting.

【FrontStreet Coffee's Washed Kenya Small Tomato】Smells with light jackfruit aroma, floral notes, and pine fragrance. The entry reveals plum, lemon, citrus, and cherry tomato acidity, with caramel aftertaste and a juicy sensation.

If you're accustomed to drinking Ethiopian washed Yirgacheffe coffee and then try a cup of Kenyan coffee, you'll definitely feel these are coffees of completely different levels—one is fresh and bright, the other has rich fruit acidity and aroma, offering completely different experiences. Of course, FrontStreet Coffee also has over fifty different single-origin coffee beans from various regions, ready to give you a full sensory experience!

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473