Kenya AA Nyeri Region | Gikanda FCS Kangocho Farm SL28, SL 34 Flavors

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Kenya AA Nyeri District | Flavor Profile of Gikanda FCS Kangocho Farm's SL28 and SL34

Kenya is a model country for producing excellent coffee beans. Coffee was introduced from Britain in 1900, and coffee varieties consisted only of traditional Arabica until 1950, when Kenya's current outstanding SL28 and SL34 Bourbon varieties were developed. All beans are processed using the washed method and graded according to the AA PLUS·AA·AB system, which only represents uniformity of bean size, not quality differences. The excellent altitude ranges from 4,200 to 6,800 feet. In 2009-2010, due to global warming and disease impacts, production decreased, leading to price increases. Subsequently, the continued rise of specialty coffee and Kenya coffee's irreplaceable blackberry flavor has kept high-quality Kenyan beans at premium prices. Therefore, direct-to-consumer coffee prioritizes purchasing higher-quality Kenyan beans. The coffee beans are relatively large with high wine-like blackberry acidity, and can be harvested twice a year: April-June is the secondary season, while October-December is the main harvest season.

Most coffee beans are uniformly graded and inspected by the Kenya Coffee Board and then sold at auction. The public auction system dates back to before 1934 and operates through an agent system. Kenya has 50 licensed agents who send sample beans to their respective clients for cupping. Clients can have their agents bid on their favorite coffees at auction. However, this system seems to encourage middlemen agents to erode farmers' incomes. Therefore, in 2006, Kenya opened up to allow 32 independent sales agents to directly contact foreign coffee buyers without going through auctions. However, all must meet Kenya Coffee Board standards for quality, storage, bank guarantees, etc., to be sold. Both systems operate in parallel, and after years of development, it has become the most transparent auction distribution system, where better-quality coffees can obtain better prices through cupping, encouraging more cooperatives and farms to join. However, I believe the latter allows direct contact with farmers to obtain first-hand information.

Kenya's Gikanda Kangocho Farm is a collaboration of several small farmers, who together with Ndaroini and Gichathaini form the Gikanda Cooperative, located in Nyeri District at an average altitude of approximately 1,700-1,900 meters. The beans are sent to the exclusive Kangocho processing plant for refined processing. Small farmers grow traditional unimproved varieties SL28 and SL34, hand-picking fully ripe cherries on the same day for washed processing. Before shipment, the beans are wrapped in parchment and hulled to remove the silver skin.

In recent years, Kenyan bean prices have remained high, but farmers' actual income is less than $1 per pound. After deducting production costs, almost all remaining funds go to bank loans, leaving very little. The biggest exploitative middlemen are surprisingly Kenya's agricultural authoritarian officials, who are unwilling to see a more progressive and advanced Kenya. If you are willing, please support Kenyan beans through the Fair Trade association system, as at least this represents transparent and just coffee.

Farm Information

Farm: Gikanda FCS Cooperative Kangocho Farm

Grade: AA

Country: Kenya

City: Nyeri

Region: Karatina town

Altitude: 1,600-1,800 meters

Farm Size: Small-scale coffee farmers with small plantations

Soil: Red volcanic loam soils

Harvesting Method: Hand picked

Certification: Fair Trade

Coffee Characteristics

Variety: SL28, SL34

Processing System: Full washed, dried on African raised beds

Top Jury Descriptions: Cupping roast level is 60 seconds after first crack begins (Cinnamon roast)

Aroma/Flavor: Osmanthus, peach, rose perfume, aged tea, jasmine, lavender, honey, brown sugar, sweet potato, lemongrass

Acidity: Citric acid, kumquat acidity, raspberry, huge and powerful, consistently rich and stable

Complexity and Other: Abundant, rich, and multi-layered, attractive perfume-like aroma, excellent strong acidity, cool mint filling the mouth

Overall Style Attributes: Very complex, perfume-like, mint and herbal

FrontStreet Coffee Recommends Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, using 15g coffee. First pour with 25g water for 25s bloom. Second pour to 120g water, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway, then continue pouring slowly to 225g 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 helps extend the extraction time.

Important Notice :

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