Enjoying Coffee with Starbucks Kenya Coffee Beans and the Story of African Elephants - Kenya Coffee Bean Characteristics

Among Starbucks' 13 coffee beans, the one that left the deepest impression on me is the Kenya coffee bean in its orange-yellow packaging. This is partly due to the endearing image of an African elephant slowly marching forward on the package, and partly because after medium roasting, these coffee beans exhibit a full, robust acidity while carrying caramel sweetness.

The Symbolism of the Elephant on Starbucks Kenya Coffee Beans

The elephant on the packaging is an African elephant. African elephants differ from Asian elephants; having long survived in the harsh environment of the African savanna, their gentle appearance hides their wild nature. Many people describe the flavor of Kenya coffee beans using African elephants: as substantial as African elephants yet with wildness! FrontStreet Coffee thinks this is no exaggeration at all. The characteristic of Kenya coffee beans is their representative vibrant acidity, with a soft caramel sweetness in the aftertaste, which has been widely celebrated in the coffee industry.

Kenya Coffee Cultivation

Located in eastern Africa and straddling the equator, Kenya not only boasts abundant wildlife but also benefits from high-altitude geographical conditions and tropical savanna climate that provide "heaven's blessing" for coffee cultivation. Meanwhile, volcanic soil brings more mineral nutrients to coffee trees. The phosphorus content in Kenya's volcanic soil is higher than in other African regions, and phosphate components affect coffee flavor, giving all coffee beans produced in the Kenya region a unique berry-like acidity.

Kenya Coffee Varieties

The Kenya region primarily cultivates SL28 and SL34 varieties, though others exist, such as Ruiru 11 and Batian. SL28 belongs to the Bourbon gene family, with bean shapes resembling the round, full-bodied Bourbon variety. When FrontStreet Coffee conducted individual cupping of this variety, its flavor exhibited complex and varied acidity with wonderful sweetness. SL34 belongs to the Typica gene family, with slender, oval-shaped beans. FrontStreet Coffee's individual cupping of this variety revealed clean acidity and high sweetness.

Kenya Coffee Flavor

To preserve the full, robust acidity of Kenya coffee beans, roasting generally uses light-to-medium to medium levels. The AA coffee beans from the Kenya Asalia processing plant sold by FrontStreet Coffee use light-to-medium roasting. After brewing, they exhibit small tomato acidity, with dark plum acidity upon entry, a clean mouthfeel with rich juice-like body, and a caramel-sweet aftertaste.

What are Kenya AA Coffee Beans?

Kenya AA is a grading classification for Kenya coffee beans, determined through standard screening sieves that grade coffee beans by size. AA coffee beans measure 17-18 mesh (mesh is a unit of size). This is currently the highest grade in the official classification system. But does this mean AA grade coffee beans are always delicious? Not necessarily. The flavor differences in coffee beans stem from factors like regional soil, altitude, and climate. AA coffee beans aren't necessarily always the most delicious, but they do excel in cleanliness.

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