Exceptionally Rare Natural Process Kenyan French Mission Bourbon: A Coffee Origin Discovery

FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Chania Estate French Mission Bourbon Natural

Country: Kenya

Region: Thika

Processing Station: Chania Estates

Altitude: 1,525 meters

Variety: French Mission Bourbon

Processing Method: Natural

Origin Introduction

Coffee from each county in Kenya is quite distinct. The entire country is divided into 47 "counties."

Different counties have distinctly different coffee characteristics. Kenyan coffee trees are mostly grown at altitudes between 1,400-2,000 meters, with two harvests per year. Growing regions include Ruiri, Thika, Kirinyaga, Mt. Kenya West, Nyeri, Kiambu and Muranga, primarily on the foothills of Mt. Kenya and Aberdare. Embu region coffee, for example, is balanced, with citrus fruits, chocolate and apple acidity. Nyeri region coffee shows white grape, a juicy body, grapefruit and small tomato flavors, full of fruitiness and sweet like caramel.

Different counties have distinctly different coffee characteristics. Kenyan coffee trees are mostly grown at altitudes between 1,400-2,000 meters, with two harvests per year. Growing regions include Ruiri, Thika, Kirinyaga, Mt. Kenya West, Nyeri, Kiambu and Muranga, primarily on the foothills of Mt. Kenya and Aberdare. Thika, on the Kenyan plateau, is balanced, with citrus fruits, chocolate, apple and plum acidity. Nyeri region coffee shows white grape, a juicy body, grapefruit and small tomato flavors, full of fruitiness and sweet like caramel.

Thika - Kiambu

The Kiambu coffee growing region lies in the central highlands east of Kenya's Great Rift Valley, with Thika a secondary area. At the foot of the Aberdare mountain range, the soil here is red volcanic soil rich in organic matter. Because of the mild climate and moderate rainfall in the Kiambu region, coffee farmers can have two harvests per year, from May to July and from September to December.

KIAMBU

This production area in central Kenya has the highest-altitude coffee growing areas in the region.

The Kiambu region has some large coffee estates, where small farmers and their cooperatives work closely together. Most have their own processing plants, which give growers better options than the unified acquisition and sale of coffee. Farmers process green beans in their own factories and obtain reasonable prices at auction.

However, some coffee trees at high altitude may suffer from dieback disease and stop growing. This production area is named after Nakuru town. Coffee cultivation here takes the form of both estates and small farmers, though production is relatively small.

Altitude: 1850~2200 meters

Harvest Period: October~December (main season), June~August (secondary season)

Varieties: SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru 11, Batian

Estate Introduction

Chania and Oreti estates are the only large and medium-sized private coffee plantations in Kenya, managed by the Harries family since 1904. Chania Estate and Oreti Estate border the Chania River, with dams, reservoirs and nearly 200 acres of land, with forests planted along the riverbanks to protect birds and wildlife.

Estate owner Boyce Marquis Allen Harries took over the family business (Harries & Son Ltd.) of the estates and A.I.R. in 2013.

Today 40 employees work for Boyce, many of whom have served the Harries family for three generations. The employees have their own self-elected committee that meets monthly to discuss community safety, social and health issues. Beyond caring for their own workers, the Harries family donated land to the Thika City Council and co-founded the Wabeni Technical College, which teaches practical skills such as tailoring, mechanics and woodworking to help local residents make a living.

The Harries Story: An Estate with Over 100 Years of History

Chania and Oreti estates are the only large and medium-sized private coffee plantations in Kenya.

In 1904, Allen Charles Harries arrived in South Africa and came to Kenya. After comprehensive surveys across the country, Allen Charles established the Karamaini estate in what would later become the Thika area. It took him two days to travel 30 miles from Nairobi by donkey cart.

His third son, Aldred Evan Rule Harries, remained in South Africa and helped support his father financially, eventually joining his coffee business in 1912.

In 1926, Evan moved to Chania village. This was a mixed farm on the Chania River, with coffee planted in a small area.

Here Evan set out to discover what could be successfully cultivated, trying to raise cattle, sisal and pineapples while slowly increasing the total area of coffee. He also bought adjacent small farms to create the estate, and in the early 1950s, based on his initials, he named his enterprise A.I.R. Harries & Son Ltd. In 1946, Evan's son Peter Allen Harries completed his studies in New Zealand.

He and his wife Ina, a New Zealander, joined his father, buying land more than 5 miles from Chania down the ridge of the Aberdare Mountains. They named it Oreti and established a mixed farm of pineapples, coffee and macadamia nuts.

In the late 1950s, Peter inherited the operation of both farms after his father passed away. The farm had pineapples, livestock and macadamia nuts, but coffee became the focus of the agricultural operation. When Peter suddenly passed away in 1983, his eldest and later only surviving son, David Hugh Allen Harries (b.1947), took on the responsibility of continuing the family tradition.

David's nephew, Boyce Marquis Allen Harries (born 1976), came to join him in 2004, living in Peter's old home at Oreti. Following David's retirement in 2013, Boyce took over the operation of both estates and the family business A.I.R. Harries & Son Ltd.

Green Bean Analysis

French missionaries brought the Bourbon variety to Kenya around 1892-1893. This original Bourbon variety is known as the French Mission Varietal, which avoided scientific improvement during cultivation and preserved the most original flavor of Bourbon.

Chania Estate's unique red volcanic soil, combined with temperatures and rainfall suitable for coffee growth and an excellent natural environment, creates the unique flavor of FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Thika Chania Estate French Mission Bourbon.

Bourbon Variety

Let me briefly explain what Bourbon coffee is. Bourbon coffee was originally cultivated on Réunion Island, which was also called Bourbon Island before 1789. Bourbon is a sub-variety that mutated from Typica, and like Typica it belongs to the oldest existing coffee varieties. When the green fruits mature, they turn bright red.

The Spread of Bourbon Variety

In Africa, French missionaries known as Spiritans, from the Holy Ghost Congregation, played an important role in spreading the Bourbon variety. In 1841, the first church was established in Réunion, and a branch was established in Zanzibar in 1859; from Zanzibar, branches were established in Bagamoyo (Tanzania coast, then called Tanganyika) and St. Augustine (Kikuyu, Kenya) in 1862, and another branch was established in Bura (Taita Hills, Kenya) in 1893. With the establishment of each branch, coffee seeds brought from Réunion were planted.

In 1899, seedlings cultivated in Bura were brought to another French church in Santa Cruz (near Nairobi), and in 1900 introduced to the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, distributing seeds to local residents willing to grow coffee. This is the origin of what is called "Missionary Bourbon." The Kent variety was then introduced in 1920. To this day, coffee in Tanzania is still mainly Bourbon and Kent.

Processing Method Introduction

Natural processed Kenyan coffee is relatively uncommon on the market, possibly because the quality of Kenyan washed processing is excellent, plus the high loss rate and labor costs of natural processing. Natural processed Kenyan coffee can generally only be found in some special custom plans offered by green bean merchants. This FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Chania Estate French Mission Bourbon is processed using the natural method, during which the refined natural process adds body and sweetness to the already rich and varied acidic Bourbon coffee. This natural batch is limited in quantity and depends entirely on natural climate conditions.

Roasting Analysis

The bean density is medium, and roasting uses medium heat to climb. During the roast the beans heat up quickly, so we need to reduce the heat at 150°C, 160°C and 170°C to extend the Maillard reaction time while avoiding too rapid a rise. First crack begins at around 8 minutes 15 seconds at 186°C, while reducing heat and opening the air damper to develop flavors. At 2 minutes, drop at 194°C.

Yangjia 600g Semi-direct Fire (Roasting amount 300g)

Preheat the roaster to 170°C, set the air damper to 3, turn on the heat after 30S, adjust heat to 140, air damper unchanged. Return to the temperature point at 1'28'', maintain heat, adjust heat down to 110 at 140°C, air damper open to 4. At 4'20'' the beans turn yellow, the grassy smell disappears and the roast enters the dehydration stage; adjust heat down to 90, air damper remains at 4. At 150°C, 160°C and 170°C, adjust heat down again to 90, 70 and 50 respectively.

At 7'50'', dehydration is complete, wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toast smell turns to coffee aroma as a prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 8'13'', first crack begins, air damper fully open to 5 while adjusting heat to 30. Development time after first crack is 2 minutes, dropping at 194°C.

Cupping Results

This FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Chania Estate Natural French Mission Bourbon has good flavor, but the defect rate is relatively high, so please select carefully before and after roasting. The dry aroma has natural fermentation, dried fruit and vanilla notes. On the palate you taste caramel, vanilla and mixed fruits, with a solid juice-like texture. The aftertaste has berries, rich jackfruit and coffee flower notes. The overall performance carries the wild regional characteristics of Africa, suited to slow sipping in small mouthfuls. The complex aroma is hard to give up.

Brewing Parameters

Recommended brewing method: Pour-over

Grind size: 3.5 (Japan Fuji R440)

Water temperature: 90~91°C

V60

V60 dripper, 15g of coffee, ground at 3.5

Coffee-to-water ratio close to 1:15

30ml water for bloom, bloom time is 30s

For pouring, it is recommended to use a small water flow in the early stage, with immersion extraction. When the water level drops, the flow follows the spiral ribs, concentrating the water. This action is like wringing a towel, squeezing the coffee particles in the water at once. To maximize this squeezing effect, control the water level so it completely soaks the height of the coffee powder layer.

The second pour also starts from the center, injecting a small water column into the bottom of the powder layer. To concentrate the penetrating power of the water column, keep the circular movement small, about the size of a coin, and then extend outward. From the second pour, watch the water amount and try not to exceed the height of the powder layer; that is, when the water column reaches close to the filter paper, you can stop pouring.

Segmented: Pour water to 120ml, pause, slowly pour to 225ml, i.e., 30-120-75, total extraction time about 2 minutes.

Other Drip Extraction Recommendations:

French Press: recommended grind size 3.5-4 / water temperature 90°C

AeroPress: recommended grind size 2.5, water temperature 90°C

Pour-over: grind size 3.5, water temperature 91°C

French Press Method:

1. Weigh 20g of beans, grind to coarse sugar size, coffee-to-water ratio is 1:15.

2. Preheat the French press with hot water, then pour it out; pour the coffee grounds into the French press.

3. Pour 89-degree hot water in and start timing. After pouring the water, stir gently to ensure all coffee grounds are wet.

4. After four minutes, slowly press the plunger down, and it is ready to serve.

Related recommendation: FrontStreet Coffee World Coffee Estate Region Introduction: Detailed introduction of Kenya, coffee producing country

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Natural processing is the least common way to handle Kenyan coffee, and it depends heavily on the weather: the cherries are picked at full ripeness and dried whole in the sun until the moisture content is on target, then hulled, so the fruit is preserved intact and the finished cup gains more body and a riper, more fruit-driven character. FrontStreet's natural Kenyan lots sit exactly in that style.

If you want to explore the same processing method across other origins, FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry is a strong companion piece. Natural processing needs consecutive clear days, with drying typically running 27 to 30 days; Ethiopia uses the method widely because its high altitude, dry climate and scarce water make it the natural choice. The cherries are spread on raised beds away from the ground so insects, dust and bacteria cannot reach them, and they are turned at intervals so they dry evenly. After a medium-light roast, this lot shows an elegant floral aroma and bright acidity alongside obvious tropical fruit, a full fermented note and sweetness.

For a bolder, more intensely aromatic natural, FrontStreet Natural Hua Kui comes from exceptionally high altitude, an outstanding growing environment, fertile soil and carefully selected ripe cherries, all of which give it a fine fragrance, and the representative Sidamo natural processing brings out its aroma further. African beans mostly show a light, clear, floral-fruity and brightly acidic profile, and to highlight that, Hua Kui is roasted medium-light, drinking with light fermented notes, florals, citrus and mango, a thick, complex body, honey sweetness, cocoa and a touch of spice, and a long finish. FrontStreet also offers FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan Natural Typica, grown and produced by the FrontStreet estate, where the harvest season happens to be the sunniest part of the year; long sun exposure brings out a nutty character with balanced sweet-sour acidity, a little more sweetness than ordinary washed coffee, a berry-like acidity, notes of dried apricot and brown sugar and a light tea-like impression.