Kenya AA High Altitude TOP Berry Flavored Coffee Characteristics and Kenya Growing Region Introduction

FrontStreet Coffee Kenya AA High Altitude TOP Introduction

Kenya lies just south of Ethiopia and Yemen — only a few hundred kilometers from two of the world's most storied coffee nations. Its coffee history, however, is far younger: coffee only arrived in the 19th century, carried by missionaries, and German and British colonists went on to develop Kenya's coffee farms.

Kenya's coffee trees grow in the mountains north and west of the capital, Nairobi. There are two principal producing areas. One runs from the southern slopes of Mount Kenya — the country's highest peak — stretching continuously southward; sitting close to the equator, this is Kenya's largest growing region. The other, smaller area lies on the eastern slopes of Mount Elgon, on the border between Uganda and Kenya.

The mountain regions are rich in red volcanic soil, and coffee is cultivated between 1,500 and 2,100 meters. Kenya's farms are tiny — some plots cover less than a single acre. The trees flower twice a year, in March-April after the rainy season and again in October-November, and Kenyan coffee has always been picked by hand.

All coffee grown in Kenya is Arabica of the Bourbon lineage, with a signature profile of elegant winy notes and a long aftertaste, plus a richness and smoothness that Ethiopian and Yemeni coffees don't offer. Beans are graded by size, weight, and shape, with classes including AA++/AA+/AA and AB.

FrontStreet Coffee Kenya AA High Altitude TOP Introduction

Origin: Kenya

Region: Nyeri

Estate: Thiriku

Altitude: 1,500 meters

Processing Method: Fine washed

Grade: AA TOP

Variety: SL28/SL34

Flavor: Highly aromatic, rich, and fruity, with pleasant acidity, a lush mouthfeel, and an intense aroma. In the cup it delivers clear notes of blackberry and grapefruit.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Kenya's blackberry-and-grapefruit lift is your style, FrontStreet's Ethiopian lineup offers a fascinating counterpoint from coffee's birthplace. The FrontStreet washed Yirgacheffe is the classic gateway: crisp jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity, light and elegant on the palate with a tea-like finish — like a clean, refreshing lemon tea. FrontStreet Huakui, a natural from the Hambella area of Guji grown on a 200-hectare farm and dried 21 days on raised beds, goes richer still, with fermented wine aromatics, florals, citrus, and mango, honeyed sweetness, cocoa depth, and a thick, lasting body.

For something in between, FrontStreet Sidamo Hamacho 74158 — built on the JARC 74-series varieties — smells of perfume lemon, strawberry, and star fruit, with sweet strawberry, star fruit, and green grape in the sip and soft florals trailing behind. And for the adventurous, FrontStreet Kafa Forest coffee, grown wild at 1400-2100 meters in shaded rainforest, offers white florals, bright lemon acidity, sweet orange and bergamot, and a green-tea-like finish at a medium-light roast.