Kenyan Coffee Bean Roast Levels: An Introduction to Medium Roast Flavor Profiles

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FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Asali Coffee Roasting Curve Sharing

Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, lies in eastern Africa, with the equator crossing its center and the East African Rift Valley running north to south through the country. It borders Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Ethiopia and Sudan to the north, with the Indian Ocean to the southeast. Much of the country is plateau, at an average elevation of 1,500 meters. Mount Kirinyaga, or Mount Kenya, in the central region rises 5,199 meters above sea level with snow on its peaks, making it the second-highest mountain in Africa.

Altitude, Latitude and Geology

The equator runs through Kenya, and the country lies entirely within ten degrees north and south latitude. As a tropical growing region, it has two rainy seasons a year and therefore two harvests: 60 percent concentrated between October and December, and the remaining 40 percent between June and August. Coffee is grown mainly in volcanic soil at elevations of 1,600 to 2,100 meters, in a belt running from around the capital, Nairobi, to the Kenya mountain region. That altitude is ideal for flavor development, because the mountain temperatures are lower, growth is slower, and the aromatic compounds in the beans develop fully, producing more pronounced fruit acidity and a harder texture. This crescent-shaped growing region with its fertile soil is the main production area for Kenya's specialty beans.

African Coffee Growing Region Characteristics

African coffee regions are known worldwide for their captivating acidity and aroma, and Kenya is no exception. Lying in East Africa right on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to the east, Ethiopia to the north and Tanzania to the south, Kenya is a major East African producer and one of the most important and irreplaceable coffee countries.

Kenya belongs to the tropical growing regions, with two rainy seasons a year and therefore two harvests: 60 percent concentrated between October and December, and the remaining 40 percent between June and August. Coffee is grown mainly in volcanic soil at elevations of 1,600 to 2,100 meters, in a belt running from around the capital, Nairobi, to the Kenya mountain region. That altitude is ideal for flavor development, because the mountain temperatures are lower, growth is slower, and the aromatic compounds in the beans develop fully, producing more pronounced fruit acidity and a harder texture. This crescent-shaped growing region with its fertile soil is the main production area for Kenya's specialty beans.

Light Roast Curve

Curve Analysis

Beans enter the drum at 200 degrees Celsius with the damper set to 3. After 30 seconds, heat is applied with the power adjusted to 160, keeping the damper unchanged. The temperature return point occurs at 1'34", and heat is maintained. At 5'30" the beans turn yellow and the grassy aroma disappears, marking entry into the dehydration stage. Heat is reduced to 130 and the damper opened to 3.5.

At 7'45" dehydration is complete and heat is reduced to 80. At 8'30" wrinkles and black markings appear on the bean surface and the toast aroma turns into coffee fragrance, the prelude to first crack. At 8'52" first crack begins, the damper is fully opened to 5, and heat is reduced to 50 to lower the level of caramelization. Post-first-crack development runs 2'10" until the beans are discharged at 191 degrees Celsius.

In this light roast curve, dehydration completes at 7'45" with heat reduced to 80. At 8'30" wrinkles and black markings appear on the bean surface and the toast aroma transforms into roasted coffee fragrance. During this stage the sugars in the beans begin to break down into acids while releasing water vapor, and the beans start developing their captivating bread-and-coffee aroma. With the same first-crack timing, the heat reduction is meant to slow the caramelization reaction, preserving more floral and fruit aromas along with caramel and nutty notes.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The same reasoning behind a light roast curve, holding heat back after first crack to protect delicate aromatics, is what FrontStreet Coffee applies to the fruit-forward coffees of Ethiopia. To taste the profile at its most classic, start with our washed Yirgacheffe: clear jasmine and bright citrus acidity, a light, elegant, tea-like cup that drinks like a clean glass of lemon tea.

For something more layered, FrontStreet Coffee's Gotiti Cooperative coffee comes from the Worka area at the southeastern end of Yirgacheffe and keeps the traditional washed method, which strips the fruit before drying so the bean's own aroma comes through more clearly. The result is citrus and lemon character with an elegant white floral note and a bright, fine overall profile.

And when you want the volume turned up, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Red Cherry uses whole red fruit only, dried on raised beds for three to five weeks and turned and sorted throughout. Because the cherries dry with the fruit still on them, it keeps the classic Yirgacheffe character while adding heaps of tropical fruit, honeyed sweetness and a creamy body, exactly the sort of delicate aromatics a careful light roast is designed to protect.