Flavor Profile of Kenya AA Nyeri Gatina Estate Coffee - Lot 650 from Gatina Factory

What are the flavor notes of Kenya AA Nyeri Gatina Estate Coffee Beans - Gatina Processing Station-LOT 650?

Kenya is a model country for producing excellent coffee beans. The high-altitude Arabica washed beans from Kenya are among the world's finest coffee varieties. Most coffee beans are graded and inspected by the Kenya Coffee Board and then sold at auctions. The Kenya Coffee Board maintains strict standards for coffee research, development, and quality management. Through an excellent auction system, it helps increase coffee prices to support poor coffee farmers, continuously updates farmers' cultivation techniques through agricultural education, and further produces superior coffee. High-quality coffee grows along the high mountain slopes of Kenya, at altitudes between 4,200 and 6,800 feet. Premium Kenyan coffee with blackberry fruit notes is produced in limited quantities, and excellent Kenyan coffee comes from small coffee estates, making it a target for many coffee bean buyers.

Located west of Mount Kenya in central Kenya, the Nyeri region is where many of Kenya's finest coffees originate. The new season's Gatina Estate beans come from a coffee estate in Nyeri (auction lot number: 650). One of the biggest differences in Kenyan beans since 2009 is the extremely low proportion of defective and empty beans (the same situation occurs at the Konokuno Estate). This means that when lightly roasted, the acidity is vibrant without astringency or bitterness. When heavily roasted (generally C-slightly strong), the coffee maintains elasticity without burnt bitterness, and the aftertaste reveals a long-lasting tropical fruit sweetness. Gatina Estate green beans are uniform and large, reminiscent of Kenya's Kianywani Estate. The proportion of defective beans hand-sorted is about 4%. When roasted to light roast (city), the weight loss ratio of the coffee beans is 16%. During the dehydration phase of roasting, fresh grape aroma is emitted, and when caramelization begins, the sweetness of toffee fills the air.

Gatina AA is produced by the primary cooperative processing station, Gatina Factory. Gatina is only 148 kilometers from the capital Nairobi, in the administrative town of KARATINA. The processing station is not far from town, about a 15-minute drive, with an altitude already exceeding 1,800 meters.

Gatina Primary Cooperative produces approximately 10% high-quality specialty coffee in its annual production. The highest quality green beans from the cooperative amount to less than 2 containers per year. Most visitors are specialty coffee roasters. Green beans marked as Gatina factory are actually subdivided into different qualities and batches. Gitana belongs to Mugaga FCS (Farmers Coop Society). Gitana itself has 681 members, with about 527 members actually growing coffee and delivering it to the processing station. It can be seen that Gatina is a typical small farmer cooperative (small farmers coop.). Each coffee farmer grows about only 150 coffee trees, operating with a centralized model for processing coffee cherries. After grading, better quality is directly sold to those who recognize the specialty market. This is the best way out for small coffee farmers growing high-quality coffee. Slightly lower grades are sold to traditional processing stations or traders, but this method cannot obtain better prices. Gitana determines different trading models based on the quality grade of green beans. For high-quality batches needed by specialty roasters (such as batches directly purchased by Auscha), the trading price is best, usually twice the price offered by local traders. As long as the quality is good, small batch size is not a problem.

They employ one full-time manager, the factory manager, responsible for daily processing and operations, as well as ensuring the pulper equipment functions during the harvest season. Additionally, there are three representatives serving as committee members of the upstream Mugaga FCS management committee, representing participation in major decisions and ensuring the overall interests of the cooperative.

The farmers' coffee gardens are at higher altitudes, so the harvest season is from October to January of the following year. The cultivated varieties are SL28 and SL34, and the soil is red volcanic loam, which is deep, fertile organic volcanic soil with good drainage. Most members are located at altitudes above 1,800 meters and can harvest twice a year. Temperatures range between 14°C and 25°C. Overall, the soil and climate are very suitable for growing high-quality coffee.

From bean selection, re-testing to final decision, Gatina Estate green beans are large and dark green with few defective beans.

Light Roast City (Fragrant):

The dry aroma after grinding has spiciness with plum sweetness. When brewed, it's filled with cherry and rose floral notes. The traditional blackberry acidity is relatively mild, not the intense type. The flavor is bright, complex, and textured, with a lemon acidity turning sweet that lingers in the mouth for some time. Friends who don't like acidic Kenyan light roast coffee probably dislike the strong, prickly, and spicy acidity that hits the palate immediately. However, when you experience the perfect transformation of Kenyan coffee with its original fruit acidity turning sweet and carrying floral notes, this enormous blackberry fruit acidity will become your clearest and most beautiful memory.

Medium Roast (General B):

This roast level is the most balanced state of acidity and sweetness for Kenya Gatina Estate beans. When brewed, it has the tea aroma of wheat-flavored black tea. The coffee has pineapple fruit sweetness, with very delicate and soft acidity - elegant orange acidity. The prickly and spicy sensations are gone, replaced by a smooth milk tea feeling. The aftertaste has the sweetness of citrus fruit jam (preserved fruit).

Dark Roast (General C):

Among the aroma of brown sugar water, there's still some floral and grassy acidity. Honey syrup sweetness is the most prominent sweetness at this roast level - thick, lively, and elastic. After brewing, the coffee beans expand with exceptional freshness and brightness, indicating they are fresh beans. Subtle fruit acidity appears as the coffee cools and disappears as you continue drinking. The aftertaste is the sweetness of sugarcane.

Because Kenyan beans are hard and dense, deeper roasting will not produce burnt bitterness. When roasted to slightly strong, it has a rich, thick sweetness wrapped in brown sugar, similar to toffee with syrup wrapped in the center - very sweet. It's another good alternative to Yellow Mantou.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Small Fuji grinder setting 3.5

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

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

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