Kenya Coffee Grading: Characteristics of Kenyan Coffee and Why It's Acidic

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

Introduction to Kenyan Coffee

Kenyan coffee is renowned for its acidity and enjoys an excellent reputation in terms of quality and industry practices. The region's finest coffees feature multiple layers of vibrant flavors, with rich fruit aromas revealing berry notes; deep, substantial mouthfeel, full-bodied aroma, and some varieties even possess sweetness and wine-like characteristics.

Coffee industry professionals universally consider Kenyan coffee to be among their favorite products, as Kenyan coffee embodies every sensation we seek from a good cup of coffee. It possesses magnificent, satisfying aromatics, balanced and pleasant acidity, uniform particle size, and excellent fruit flavors. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will guide you into the world of Kenyan coffee!

Kenyan Coffee Production

Located in East Africa, Kenya is one of the major coffee-producing countries, with approximately six million people nationwide engaged in the coffee industry, mostly in a combined form of small farmers, washing stations, and cooperatives. Kenyan coffee is primarily processed using the washed method, with coffee trees mostly planted in mountainous areas at altitudes of 1400-2000 meters. The production regions include Ruiri, Thika, Kirinyaga, Mt. Kenya West, Nyeri, Kiambu, and Muranga. Among these, the foothills of Mt. Kenya and Aberdare are the main production areas.

Kenyan coffee is graded by bean size and flavor. Bean sizes include AA, AB, and PB, with AA sizes being 17 and 18 mesh, AB being 15 and 16 mesh, and PB being Peaberries. Flavor grades are TOP, PLUS, and FAQ in sequence. FAQ—"Fair to Average Quality"—may have some slight defect beans, but they do not affect the flavor.

Historical Background

Coffee entered Kenya in the 19th century when Ethiopian coffee beverages were imported to Kenya via South Yemen. However, it wasn't until the early 20th century that Bourbon coffee trees were introduced by the St. Austin Mission.

Cultivation and Processing

Most Kenyan coffee grows at altitudes of 1500-2100 meters, with harvests occurring twice a year. To ensure only ripe berries are picked, people must patrol and inspect the forests approximately 7 times back and forth. Kenyan coffee is grown by small farmers who, after harvesting, first send fresh coffee beans to cooperative washing stations. The washing stations then send the washed and dried coffee in "parchment coffee" state (coffee beans covered with endocarp) to cooperatives ("parchment coffee" is the final state before coffee beans are hulled). All coffee is collected together, and growers demand average prices based on actual quality. This trading method generally works well and is fair to both growers and consumers.

Government Regulation and Quality

The Kenyan government takes the coffee industry extremely seriously, where cutting or destroying coffee trees is illegal. Buyers of Kenyan coffee are all world-class premium coffee buyers, and no other country can continuously grow, produce, and sell coffee like Kenya. All coffee beans are first purchased by the Coffee Board of Kenya (CBK), where they undergo inspection, grading, and are then sold at weekly auctions without further grading. The Coffee Board of Kenya only acts as an agent, collecting coffee samples and distributing them to buyers to help them determine prices and quality. The Nairobi auction is held for private exporters, and the Coffee Board of Kenya pays growers below-market prices. The best coffee grade is Peaberry (PB), followed by AA++, AA+, AA, AB, and so on in sequence. Premium coffee has a bright, glossy appearance, delicious taste, and a slight wine aroma.

Key Varieties

The main varieties of Kenyan coffee are SL28 and SL34, cultivated and named by "Scott Laboratories" in 1930. According to SL laboratory botanists, SL28 and SL34 are genetic variants. Among them, SL28 has mixed heritage from French Mission, Mocha, and Yemen Typica. The original goal in cultivating SL28 was to mass-produce coffee beans that combined high quality with resistance to pests and diseases. Although SL28's yield later didn't meet mass production expectations, its copper-colored leaves and broad bean-shaped beans possess wonderful sweetness, balance, and complex, varied flavors, along with distinctive citrus and dark plum characteristics. SL34 has similar flavors to SL28, but besides complex, varied acidity and wonderful sweet finish, its mouthfeel is heavier and more intense than SL28, and also cleaner. SL34 has heritage from French Mission, Bourbon, and more Typica bloodlines. The bean appearance is similar to SL28, but it adapts better to sudden heavy rains. These two important varieties lead us to understand the unique Kenyan coffee beans. At FrontStreet Coffee, you can find all of these.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests Kenyan coffee brewing parameters:

V60/91-92°C/1:15/Time two minutes

Flavor Profile

Intense cherry tomato aroma, sugarcane sweetness

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473