Kenya Coffee Flavor Profiles, Kenya AA Coffee Characteristics, Kenya Coffee Classification System

Kenya: A Premium Coffee-Producing Nation

Kenya is a country justly famous for its excellent coffee. In 1900, coffee trees were introduced from Britain, and only traditional Arabica varieties were planted. It wasn't until 1950 that SL28 and SL34 - Bourbon-derived varieties now considered Kenya's finest - emerged. Most coffee beans are graded and inspected by the Kenya Coffee Board before being sold at auction, and the public auction system dates all the way back to before 1934.

The auction operates through an agent system. Kenya has 50 licensed agents who send sample beans to their clients for cupping; clients then bid on their preferred coffees through these agents. The downside is that the system seems to reward middlemen while squeezing farmers' incomes. Consequently, in 2006 Kenya opened up, allowing 32 independent sales agents to deal directly with foreign buyers without going through the auction, provided they meet Kenya Coffee Board standards for quality, storage, and bank guarantees. Both systems now run in parallel, and after years of development this has become one of the most transparent auction-and-distribution systems in the coffee world - better coffees command higher prices on the strength of their cupping scores, which encourages more cooperatives and farms to take part.

The Kenyan Coffee Grading System

Grading follows the AA PLUS, AA, AB ladder, but this refers only to bean size and uniformity - not to quality differences per se. The premium growing altitudes range from 1,600 to 2,300 meters. From 2009-2010, global warming and disease reduced production and sent prices climbing sharply. Kenya's coffee is irreplaceable for its intense blackberry acidity, which keeps premium Kenyan beans expensive. There are two harvests each year: April-June is the secondary season, while October-December is the main crop.

Kenyan Coffee Grade Classifications

E - "Elephant" beans, not to be confused with the elephant bean variety. Normally a coffee cherry holds two seeds facing each other, each with one flat side - the so-called flat beans, female beans, or twin beans. E-grade beans occur when two seeds fuse together during growth into a single extra-large bean. They are rare, a natural mutation.

AA - Screen mesh of approximately 7.20 millimeters. This grade commands better prices.

AB - A-grade mesh is 6.80 millimeters and B-grade is 6.20 millimeters; the two are mixed together for sale, hence "AB." Most beans from a single harvest concentrate in this grade.

PB - "Peaberry," often called the small round bean or single-seed bean, as opposed to regular flat beans. It is rare because only one seed develops fully inside the fruit, producing a small, round bean. Its impact on flavor is still debated - some drinkers actively seek it out - so PB lots are often separated and sold on their own.

C - Mesh size between 4.8-5.6 millimeters; considered small-particle beans.

TT - Usually where damaged beans end up. A shame, given where they started.

T - At this grade, typically only fragments, defective beans, and small particles under 4.8 millimeters remain.

MH/ML - Overripe beans that fell to the ground, or beans of very poor quality; not exported.

Note that trade labels like AA+, AA++, AA Top, and AB+ are not part of Kenya's official system. Definitions vary from trader to trader, so treat them as reference only.

FrontStreet Coffee also carries Kenya AA beans, including the Kenya Asali and Karogoto lots, both graded Kenya AA. Recommended pour-over parameters are 90-92°C water, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and a total brew time of 2 minutes 20 seconds. The cup opens with bright cherry-tomato acidity and a honey-like sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Kenya's vivid, juicy acidity is your thing, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Guodingding Cooperative makes a fascinating side-by-side. This washed lot from the Guodingding village station is graded G1 - Ethiopia's highest - and shows an elegant white floral character with citrus, orange, and green tea. It's the washed counterpart to Kenya's washed brightness: clean, luminous, and unmistakably Arabica.