Kenya Selected Batch|Kirinyaga Province Kamwangi Production Area AA Grade NFCS Cooperative Coffee Beans

Kenya Premium Selection | Flavor Profile of AA Grade Coffee Beans from Kamwangi Region, Kirinyaga Province, NFCS Cooperative

Kenya is hardly a stranger to outstanding, memorable lots, yet harvest volumes have shrunk dramatically. With so many buyers chasing limited supply, transaction prices have soared and weekly sale rates have repeatedly hit new records. This prompted the quasi-governmental Coffee Board of Kenya (CBK) to close early in April of this year because there were no beans left to auction—an unprecedented move. Only with the recent fly crop, the smaller scattered harvest, did the CBK reluctantly reopen. When the 2010 main harvest season began, we immediately caught wind of this important development and headed out to the growing regions to establish procurement and cupping channels.

The excellent Kamwangi AA specialty coffee comes from central Kenya, specifically Kirinyaga Province, and is produced by the NFCS Cooperative. The harvest period was 2010-2011. NFCS stands for Ngariama Farmers Co-operative Society and has 608 members, making it only a mid-sized cooperative for this region. Most of its farmers sit in volcanic terrain at 2000 meters, and the coffee they grow is famous for its rich berry flavors. This lot was procured directly from NFCS. The cooperative lies about 130 kilometers from the capital, Nairobi, reachable by taking the A2 from the capital toward the mountains and then switching to the B6—a journey that is not far. Geographically it resembles Nyeri, both belonging to what is commonly called Kenya's central province, and transportation links and roads here are relatively well developed. NFCS enjoys high altitude and fertile soil, making it an ideal site for growing SL34.

For washed coffees from East Africa, altitude is rarely a concern, especially in Ethiopia and Kenya, which sit along the East African Rift Valley. Production regions generally lie above 1500 meters, and NFCS is nearly at 2000 meters. A slender, lingering aroma is a shared trait of these high-altitude premium beans, yet each retains its own distinct flavor profile.

This premium selection Kamwangi AA specialty coffee forms part of Orsir Coffee's direct relationship coffee, produced by the NFCS Cooperative. The top of the burlap bag bears the words "Kamwangi" and "AA grade," along with the crucial harvest date "December 2010." Below, the bag marks Orsir Coffee's exclusive batch, while the bottom reads "Specialty lot."

At the NFCS Cooperative, members hand-pick ripe coffee cherries in batches as they mature, then carry them to the cooperative's processing plant the same day for pulping. Washing is followed by fermentation. Kenya's washed fermentation process has always been exemplary—immediately after reception at the collection stations, lots are separated, and only high-density beans are selected for the most important batches. This AA lot represents NFCS Cooperative's 2010-2011 selection, with excellent cleanliness and flavor. In the 2010-11 harvest season, excellent AA-grade large-sized beans were scarcer than in previous years. This lot belongs to the carefully selected harvest from December 2010.

Basic Information and Cupping Report for Kenya Kamwangi AA:

Country: Kenya

Region: Central Province, Kirinyaga

Cooperative: Ngariama Farmers Co-operative Society

Members: 608

Marking: Kamwangi AA

Grade: AA

Varieties: SL 28 and SL 34

Altitude: 2000 meters

Harvest Period: December 2010 (Main harvest season: October-January)

Processing Method: Washed fermentation, African-style raised bed drying

Marking: Orsir Coffee, Specialty lot

Cupping Report:

Dry Aroma: Floral notes, honey fragrance, berry flavors, caramel sweetness

Wet Aroma: Diverse sweetness, floral notes, blackberry, caramel, cream fragrance

Sip: Excellent cleanliness, rich and delicate, prominent black berry flavors, blackcurrant, black cherry, noticeable sweetness, red wine, high-quality raw chocolate flavor, delicate sweet acidity, smooth mouthfeel, excellent coating sensation on the palate, stone fruit sweetness, varied flavors, very long aftertaste, distinctive fusion of black berries and sweet chocolate.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal R-220 grind setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee grounds. First pour 25g water, bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour to 120g water, then pause. Wait until the water level in the bed drops to half before continuing to pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g water total. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing during pouring can extend extraction time.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Kamwangi's blackcurrant depth and bright berry acidity are what draw you to Kenyan coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Washed Gedingding Cooperative is the natural next cup. Grown in the Gedingding village of the Yirgacheffe area, this is one of the cleanest washed African lots in our lineup, and its jasmine florals, lemon-citrus snap, and juicy berry sweetness echo the same high-altitude, washed profile that makes a good Kenyan AA so compelling. The cooperative processes its cherries with a traditional washed method, giving the cup the transparency and long, tea-like finish that fans of Kirinyaga lots tend to love.

Try it as a pour-over to let those delicate florals open up. We suggest a Hario V60, 15g of coffee, a 1:15 ratio, and water at 90-91°C, with a medium-fine grind about the size of fine sugar. Bloom with roughly 30g of water for 30 seconds, then pour in stages to around 225g, finishing the drawdown in about 2 minutes. The result is a clean, luminous cup with citrus acidity and a floral, berry aftertaste that stands nicely beside a classic Kenyan selection.