How to Drink French Missionary Bourbon Coffee? What is Missionary Bourbon?

Kenya: A Leading Producer of Premium East African Coffee

Kenya is an important producer of premium East African coffee, yet its output accounts for less than 5% of the global coffee market. Weekly auctions in the capital, Nairobi, export coffee around the world. Most Kenyan coffee comes from smallholders, each farming roughly 0.5 to 3 acres. Local law requires farmers with fewer than 5 acres to join a cooperative, and only a few private organizations are able to establish estates.

Embu: An Important Growing Region

Embu sits on the southeastern slope of Kenya and is an important coffee region with an average altitude of 1,650 meters. Nearly 70% of the population are small farmers, most of whom grow tea and coffee, so almost all the coffee here comes from local smallholders. The processing plant has operated since 1966 and sits at the foot of Mount Kenya at around 1,750 meters altitude, handling post-harvest processing for cherries from farmers in neighboring towns. The region has an annual temperature of 12-25°C and annual rainfall of 1,600mm. Thanks to fertile volcanic red soil, some farmers also grow tea.

Arabica SL28 and SL34

In 1930, Kenya's distinctive varieties SL28 and SL34 were bred and named by Scott Laboratories, born in a rich native forest ecosystem.

SL28 has a mixed lineage of French Mission, Mocha, and Yemeni Typica. It was originally bred to mass-produce beans that were both high quality and resistant to pests and disease. Although its yield later proved lower than hoped, its copper-colored leaves and broad, bean-shaped seeds deliver wonderful sweetness, balance, and complex flavors, along with distinct citrus and dark plum characteristics.

SL34 is similar to SL28 in flavor, with complex acidity and a wonderful sweet finish, but it has a heavier, richer, cleaner mouthfeel than SL28. SL34 carries more French Mission, Bourbon, and Typica lineage. Its bean appearance is similar to SL28, but it adapts better to sudden heavy rains.

Kenyan coffee is graded by bean size, with three common grades: AA, AB, and PB. AA is 17 and 18 mesh; AB is 15 and 16 mesh; PB refers to peaberries. Normally one coffee fruit holds two beans, while a peaberry holds just one. Different grades do not mean different flavor quality, only different bean sizes.

Kenya is well known as a major producer of washed beans, and the natural process is a completely new experiment there. In the cup, the usual lemon-fruit acidity is suppressed by fermented, wine-like notes that surface only afterward, while a rich chocolate flavor remains, all with a silky smooth mouthfeel.

The natural process is a fairly traditional method, though it is not often seen in Kenya. Pairing this traditional method with French Mission Bourbon, an ancient Kenyan variety, is genuinely rare. FrontStreet Coffee's natural Kenya Hania is French Mission Bourbon from Ngecha Estate, named after the river that runs through the farm. The local soil is deep, fertile volcanic earth. The Harries family has grown coffee for nearly a century, and their deep cultivation experience, combined with ideal local terroir, consistently produces beans with excellent flavor. Beyond running the coffee business sustainably, the estate owner also gives back to the community, donating more than 50 acres of land to the Thika Municipal Council and the Wabeni Technical Research Institute to teach practical livelihood skills to children from low-income families and improve local living conditions.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Parameters for Hania

V60 / 1:15 / 90°C / time: two minutes.

Plum, lemon, brown sugar sweetness, and balance overall.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the fermented, wine-like fruit of a natural Kenyan appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Sun-Dried Huakui is a natural match. As an Ethiopian natural Arabica, it delivers the ripe tropical fruit character typical of Sidamo sun-dried beans, with notes of cream strawberry, mango, jackfruit, citrus, and blueberry. It is the kind of bright, fruit-forward cup that won first place in the TOH green bean competition that year, and it pairs excellent flavor with an approachable price.

For a washed counterpart, try FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Gedingding Co-op beans. Graded G1, Ethiopia's highest tier, and processed with the classic washed method, they offer elegant white florals, citrus and orange, and a green tea-like finish that stays clean and transparent in the cup.