Kenya Coffee Geographical Growing Environment & Flavor Profile of African Kenyan Coffee Beans

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Kenya Coffee Geography and Representative Coffee Beans

Kenya, located in eastern Africa, has the equator running through its central part and the Great Rift Valley stretching north to south. 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. Although Kenya borders Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, Kenya's coffee cultivation history is only a little over 100 years old, more than 1000 years later than Ethiopia.

When coffee was first introduced to Kenya, it was a British colony. At that time, the British colonial government widely promoted coffee cultivation in Kenya to earn foreign exchange, exporting the harvested coffee beans to London for sales. It wasn't until 1933 that Kenya passed the Coffee Act and established the Coffee Board, after which coffee sales matters were transferred back to Kenya.

Kenyan coffee is mainly grown in the volcanic areas at altitudes of 1600-2100 meters around the capital Nairobi to the Kenyan highlands. This altitude is suitable for the development of coffee bean flavors because the mountainous areas have lower temperatures and slower growth, allowing the aromatic components of coffee beans to fully develop, resulting in more prominent fruit acidity and harder texture. This crescent-shaped fertile coffee-specific region is the main production area for Kenya's premium beans, such as Nyeri and Ruiru in the central region.

Premium Kenyan beans generally come from small farms, where each small farmer can only produce about 20 to 70 bags per season. Since they cannot afford to invest in expensive washing stations, hundreds or thousands of households have formed cooperative farms, with the government funding the construction of washing stations. These small farms are extremely rigorous in processing green beans, with the entire process supervised by the official Coffee Board, ensuring the quality of Kenyan coffee. Their famous double-washing method has always been a model among coffee-producing countries. Therefore, although Kenyan coffee production is not high, it has always been an important choice for top coffee buyers worldwide.

Kenya is known as a producing region that classifies coffee beans by particle size. Generally divided into nine grades, based on bean shape, there is PB (Peaberry), which accounts for about 10% of total production. Additionally, based on size, there are E (Elephant), AA, AB, C, T, TT, MH, and ML. The Kenyan Agricultural Research Institution's Scott Laboratory, through tireless efforts, selected and bred two excellent hybrid varieties, SL-28 and SL-34, overturning the long-held prejudice that artificially bred varieties were not as good as natural varieties. SL-28 and SL-34 have helped Kenyan coffee form its unique flavor characteristics, establishing a perfect reputation in the coffee world.

Kenyan Coffee Grade Classifications

AA Plus (AA+): AA grade with particularly excellent cupping quality (flavor, mouthfeel)

AA: Screen size 17-18

AB: Screen size 15-16, accounting for the majority of production

Knowledge Bonus:

Kenyan coffee beans are basically processed using the washing method. Generally speaking, coffee processed using this method has the purest flavor, the least miscellaneous flavors, and the best fruit aroma and acidity. Even more commendable is that Kenya has a rather special processing method: "double washing," which means the coffee beans undergo two washing treatments and two fermentations.

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