Kenya Nyeri Region | Hiriga Processing Station Washed AB SL 28 SL 34 V60 Hand Pour Flavor

Kenya Nyeri Region | Hiriga Processing Station Washed AB Beans SL 28 SL 34 V60 Pour-over Flavor?

Kenya is a country renowned for producing excellent coffee. In 1900, only traditional Arabica varieties were introduced from Britain. It wasn't until 1950 that SL28 and SL34, the most outstanding Bourbon varieties in present-day Kenya, emerged. Most coffee beans are graded and inspected by the Kenya Coffee Board before being sold at auctions. The public auction system dates back to before 1934. The auction method employs an agent system, with Kenya having 50 licensed agents who send sample beans to their respective clients for cupping. Clients can bid on preferred coffee through agents at auctions. However, this approach seems to encourage intermediate agents and erodes farmers' incomes. Therefore, in 2006, Kenya opened up 32 independent sales agents who could directly contact foreign coffee buyers without going through auctions, provided they met the Kenya Coffee Board's standards for quality, storage, and bank guarantees. Both systems operate in parallel. After years of development, it has become the most transparent auction distribution system, where higher-quality coffee can fetch better prices through cupping, encouraging more cooperatives and farms to join. However, I believe the latter approach allows direct contact with farmers to obtain first-hand information.

Grading follows the AA PLUS, AA, AB system, but this only refers to bean size and uniformity, not quality differences. Premium elevations range from 1,600 to 2,300 meters. From 2009 to 2010, due to global warming and disease impacts, reduced production led to price increases. Kenya coffee's irreplaceable intense blackcurrant acidity has kept good Kenya beans at high prices. Harvesting can occur twice a year, with April-June being the secondary season and October-December being the main harvest season. The quality is stable, the aroma elegant, and the roasting range broad. Among these, Nyeri is considered one of Kenya's star-producing regions, while Hiriga is a processing station located in the Nyeri region, mainly responsible for processing coffee produced by nearby member smallholders. Coffee trees in this region are mostly planted under banana trees, silver birch trees, or Australian nut trees, commonly known as "shade trees," which protect coffee fruits from harsh sun exposure, allowing them to produce sweet coffee cherries!

The Nyeri region is one of Kenya's main producing areas. The Hiriga Processing Station collects coffee from farmers within a 5-kilometer radius. The most distinctive feature of this place is that shading is primarily provided by banana leaves. This represents excellent coffee from the traditional Nyeri region, though it doesn't belong to the sharp lemon-flavor category. Instead, it belongs to the category of refreshing, bright, and comfortable beans.

Property Characteristics

Farm: Hiriga Processing Station

Grade: AB

Country: Kenya

Region: Nyeri, Central Highlands

Altitude: 1,200-1,350 meters

Farm Size: Small-area coffee farmers

Soil: Red Volcanic Loam soils

Harvesting Method: Hand picked

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: SL 28, SL 34

Processing System: Full Washed, dried on African raised beds

Aroma/Flavor: Fresh fruits, various flowers and herbs, caramel, brown sugar

Acidity: Citric acid, tartaric acid, plum, refreshing acidity

Complexity and Other: Refreshing and bright, high complexity, malic acidity in aftertaste, less astringent mouthfeel, prominent chocolate sweetness

Overall Flavor Profile: Low acidity, juicy mango, apple sweetness

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing:

Filter: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, using 15g of coffee. First infusion with 25g of water for a 25-second bloom. Second infusion up to 120g, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time approximately 2:00 minutes.

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 the pour can help extend the extraction time.

Important Notice :

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