An Introduction to Kenya Pour-Over Coffee Flavor Profile: What is the Golden Ratio?

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FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Asali Pour-over Ratio Guide

Kenya Asali

• Region: Thika, Kenya
• Processing Station: Asali Honey Processing Station
• Altitude: 1,550-1,750 meters
• Grade: AA TOP
• Varieties: SL-28, SL-34
• Processing Method: Kenya 72-hour washed

This coffee profile reveals flavors of cherry tomatoes, black plums, cream, caramel, and nuts, with a clean mouthfeel, soft acidity, and noticeable sweetness. To bring out more layered flavors in this coffee, I chose the V60 dripper and employed a segmented extraction technique. This approach slows down water flow and enhances extraction, helping to reduce under-extraction caused by too-fast flow rates. I compared three different powder-to-water ratios—1:15, 1:16, and 1:17—to explore which ratio best highlights this coffee's flavor characteristics.

Brewing

Powder-to-Water Ratio 1:15

Parameters & Technique: 15g coffee / 1:15 ratio / 90°C / Grinding level BG-6T (Chinese standard 57% pass rate through 20-mesh screen). Bloom with 34g water for 30 seconds, then pour directly to the center to reach 121g before segmenting. After seeing the coffee bed, continue pouring to reach 227g total. Remove the dripper when the coffee bed appears. Total extraction time: 1'53"

Flavor: Entry reveals notes of bramble, wood, black plums, and cherry tomatoes. The fruit acidity is relatively soft and full-bodied, with a caramel bittersweet aftertaste. The inherent woody flavors of the beans are quite pronounced.

Powder-to-Water Ratio 1:16

Parameters & Technique: 15g coffee / 1:16 ratio / 90°C / Grinding level BG-6T (Chinese standard 57% pass rate through 20-mesh screen). Bloom with 33g water for 30 seconds, then pour directly to the center to reach 121g before segmenting. After seeing the coffee bed, continue pouring to reach 240g total. Remove the dripper when the coffee bed appears. Total extraction time: 1'52"

Flavor: Entry reveals cherry tomatoes, black plums, snow pears, cane sugar, and wood. The sweet and sour sensations are pronounced. When freshly brewed and as the temperature slightly decreases, the flavor layers become quite distinct, with black plum aromatics in the aftertaste.

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