How to Drink Kenyan Coffee - How is Kenyan Coffee Graded? How to Brew Kenyan Coffee

Kenyan coffee is most famous for its irresistible acidic aroma and taste. Below, FrontStreet Coffee introduces Kenya coffee in full.

Kenya: The Coffee Powerhouse of East Africa

Africa has always been one of the world's finest coffee-producing regions, known globally for its captivating acidity and aroma, and Kenya is certainly no exception. Kenya is a coffee powerhouse in East Africa and one of the most important, irreplaceable producing countries, located next to the world's coffee birthplace, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Kenyan coffee farmers are generally well educated, learning sophisticated agriculture and cultivating premium coffee. Producers fall into two main types: large estates, and so-called small farmers. Whether large estate or smallholder, the beans they produce undergo refined processing, and the vast majority are sent to the official Kenya Coffee Board for unified grading and authentication.

The Coffee Board first sends raw bean samples of the coffee awaiting auction to interested buyers for tasting, and holds competitive bidding auctions every Tuesday at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange in Kenya's capital, Nairobi. Through this transparent auction mechanism, plus a parallel system of official and independent sales agents, foreign buyers can also negotiate directly with producers without going through the official auction bureau. As a result, producers' hard work earns fairer, more equal returns, without middlemen taking most of the profit — which encourages farmers to work hard at producing high-quality beans in order to sell them at good prices.

The Exceptional Quality of Kenya Coffee

Wherever coffee production is discussed, Kenya has always had an excellent reputation for quality. This may relate to its geographical location — after all, it sits close to the origin of coffee. Since coffee traveled from Ethiopia through the mountain ranges to Kenya, Kenya has been one of the leaders in the coffee industry. Beans produced at high altitudes generally have a richer body, more outstanding flavor and pleasant acidity. The aroma subtly reveals floral fragrance, while the aftertaste carries both lemon-berry and wine-like flavors.

Kenya's Premier Coffee Varieties

Kenya's main varieties are SL28 and SL34, cultivated and named by "Scott Laboratories" in 1930. According to SL laboratory botanists, SL28 and SL34 are genetic variants. SL28 has mixed lineage of French Mission, Mocha and Yemen Typica. The original goal of cultivating SL28 was to mass-produce beans combining high quality with resistance to pests and diseases. Although SL28's later production was not as large as expected, its copper-colored leaves and broad bean-shaped beans deliver wonderful sweetness, balance and complex, varied flavors, along with significant citrus and dark plum characteristics. SL34 has similar flavors to SL28, but besides complex, varied acidity and a wonderful sweet finish, its body is heavier and richer than SL28, and cleaner. SL34 has French Mission, Bourbon and more Typica lineage. Its bean appearance is similar to SL28, but it adapts better to sudden heavy rains. These two important varieties are what lead us to understand unique Kenyan coffee — and all of them can be found at FrontStreet Coffee.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests these brewing parameters for Kenya coffee:

V60/91-92°C/1:15/Two minutes

Flavor Profile

Rich cherry tomato aroma, sugarcane sweetness

The Evolving Perception of Coffee Acidity

In recent years the number of coffee lovers has grown, and people have become increasingly discerning about taste and aroma. In the past, we often heard the older generation say things like: "Coffee must never be acidic!" and "If coffee is acidic, it's inferior coffee!" Looking back from today's perspective, the notion that acidic coffee equals inferior coffee has long been unrealistic and incorrect. More and more enthusiasts have begun to prefer coffee with acidity — some can't do without it — and women have shown higher acceptance of acidity. Temporal and spatial factors may play a role here too: early refining techniques were not as advanced as modern ones, sources were not transparent enough, and coffee with poor flavor and unsorted beans may have been blended in and roasted to medium-light levels, making bad flavors easier to taste clearly. In recent years, the spread of specialty coffee has driven a simpler appreciation of black coffee, with growing emphasis on coffee's inherent sour, fragrant, sweet and mellow flavors. The term "acidic coffee" has instead come to represent an understanding of coffee appreciation.

Kenya Coffee Grading System

Kenya's coffee grading system uses AA-Plus (AA+), AA and AB to distinguish differences. This grading method refers to the uniformity of bean size rather than the quality of the coffee. High-quality Kenyan beans are generally grown at altitudes between 4,200-6,800 feet (approximately 1,300-2,100 meters).

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Kenya's cherry-tomato acidity and sugarcane sweetness are what you're chasing, it's worth tasting the other great East African profile alongside it. FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe delivers white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity with a light body and a tea-like finish — the clean, fragrant counterpart to Kenya's juice-driven character. For something fruitier, FrontStreet Hamasho 74158, a natural Sidamo, brings strawberry, star fruit and green grape sweetness on the nose, then strawberry, carambola and green grape on the palate with floral notes rising behind. Both are light, high-acidity coffees that a V60 flatters.