Which Kenya Coffee Brand is the Best? A Guide to Properly Brewing Kenyan Black Coffee

The Bright Fruity Acidity of Kenyan Coffee

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow the WeChat official account: FrontStreet Coffee

The bright fruity acidity of Kenyan coffee, with its vibrant and full-bodied flavor profile, leaves an unforgettable impression on all who taste it. FrontStreet Coffee has cupped numerous coffee beans from different Kenyan growing regions. If high acidity is the soul of good coffee, then Kenyan coffee is undoubtedly the representative of this soul! Kenyan coffee beans have another special characteristic: most coffee beans with bright acidity typically don't have a heavy mouthfeel. For example, Ethiopian beans create a clean, refreshing sensation in the mouth, while Kenyan coffee delivers a berry juice sensation that envelops the entire palate, much like tomato juice.

The Development History of Kenyan Coffee

Kenya is located in East Africa, bordering Ethiopia. Kenya's coffee history is not as ancient as Ethiopia's, with coffee only being introduced around the turn of the 20th century. When coffee was first introduced to Kenya, it was under British colonial rule. At that time, the British colonial government widely promoted coffee cultivation to earn foreign exchange, shipping the harvested coffee beans to London for export sales.

In 1922, Kenya established the Scott Agricultural Laboratory (named for its development of SL28 and SL34) to conduct coffee cultivation research. In the decade following its establishment, they selected SL28 and SL34 from 42 coffee varieties as the most suitable for cultivation in the region, providing an excellent foundation for the development of the coffee industry. Today, these two varieties account for 90% of Kenya's cultivated area.

The Kenyan government places great importance on coffee sales. In 1931, it established the Kenya Growers Cooperative Union and the Kenya National Coffee Committee to guide coffee industry development from both private and national levels. In 1937, the Nairobi Coffee Exchange was established, beginning Kenya's coffee auction system where good coffee commands good prices, setting the tone for coffee pricing. In 1938, the Kenyan government released the coffee grading system that we know today—AA, AB, PB—which began providing the basis for Kenyan coffee quality standards.

Kenyan Coffee Cultivation

Most Kenyan coffee grows in the fertile, loose acidic volcanic red soil of the highlands north and east of Nairobi. This area receives abundant sunlight, has good drainage, and sits at elevations between 1,400-2,000 meters. Due to the greater temperature variations at higher altitudes, Kenyan coffee has a longer maturation period than lower altitude growing regions, resulting in higher density and more intense flavors.

Kenyan coffee generally flowers after rainfall, which occurs in March and April. The coffee cherries (fruit) mature from May to July, then mature again in September and October, allowing for two harvest seasons per year.

Kenyan Growing Regions

Kenyan coffee growing regions are primarily divided into six main regions: Thika, Kirinyaga, Mt. Kenya West, Nyeri, Kiambu, and Muranga. The harvest periods for these six major regions occur from October to December (main season) and June to August (secondary season).

Thika

Thika is a small town located near Kenya's capital, Nairobi. There are many coffee fields around Nairobi, and while Thika is an industrial town, it is surrounded by agriculture and waterfalls. The Thika region has approximately 2,000 farmers. The cultivation history of Kenyan Thika coffee dates back to the late 19th century. Coffee varieties were introduced from the neighboring northern country of Ethiopia, and through local variety improvements, the common varieties today include Bourbon, Kents (SL34, SL28), Typica, and Ruiru 11. Currently, about 90% of coffee cultivation varieties are SL34 and SL28. The new variety Batian, released in 2007, has not yet been widely cultivated. The flavor profile of this region features bright fruity acidity, heavy berry juice sensation, and honey-like sweetness.

Altitude: 1,550-1,750 meters

Varieties: SL-28, SL-34

Kirinyaga

The Kirinyaga region is situated on the slopes of Mount Kenya, adjacent to the Nyeri region, and is renowned worldwide for coffee with intense, complex flavors and substantial mouthfeel. Together with the Nyeri region, it is recognized as one of Kenya's two finest growing regions. Most producers in this area are small-scale coffee farmers who have joined cooperatives, which play a coordinating role by providing washing stations where coffee farmers bring their coffee cherries for processing. The flavor profile of this region features bright fruity acidity with moderate body and delicate sweetness.

Altitude: 1,300-1,900 meters

Varieties: SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru11, Batian

Mt. Kenya West

Mt. Kenya West includes Kisii and the Bungoma area of Mount Elgon. Kisii is located in southwestern Kenya, not far from Lake Victoria, and is a relatively small growing region where most coffee beans come from cooperatives composed of small producers. The coffee flavor in this region differs significantly from central regions, featuring roasted nuts and gentle fruity acidity, which is popular among buyers who prefer less bright acidity.

Altitude: 1,450-1,800 meters

Varieties: SL-28, SL-34, K7

Nyeri

Nyeri, located in central Kenya, is home to the extinct volcano Mount Kenya. The red soil of this region nurtures Kenya's finest coffee. Agriculture is extremely important here; coffee is the primary crop. Cooperatives composed of small farmers are more common than large estates. This region has two harvest seasons, but coffee from the main season typically has higher quality. This region features bright berry juice sensation with citrus and subtle floral notes. The coffee beans grown here have made Kenyan coffee famous worldwide.

Altitude: 1,200-2,300 meters

Varieties: SL-28, SL-34, Ruriu11, Batian

Kiambu

This central Kenyan region has the highest altitude coffee growing areas within the district. However, some coffee trees at high altitudes suffer from dieback disease, causing them to cease growing. This region is named after Nakuru town. Coffee cultivation here exists in both estate and small farmer forms, though production is relatively small.

Altitude: 1,850-2,200 meters

Varieties: SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru11, Batian

Muranga

The Muranga region belongs to the Central Province and has approximately 100,000 coffee farmers. This inland region was one of the first areas chosen by missionaries for settlement because the Portuguese prohibited them from living in coastal areas. This is another region that benefits from volcanic soil, with more small coffee farmers than estates. The coffee from this region features bright acidity and substantial juice sensation.

Altitude: 1,350-1,950 meters

Varieties: SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru11, Batian

Kenyan Coffee Auctions and Direct Trade

Nearly all Kenyan coffee is sold through the Coffee Exchange located in the capital, Nairobi. Every Tuesday during the harvest season, the Coffee Exchange conducts coffee auctions. Traders with trading qualifications receive samples of green beans in advance, and after cupping, select their preferred beans. In the subsequent auction, the highest bidder wins. Kenya's coffee auction system is considered the model for today's popular Cup of Excellence competitions and is regarded as the most transparent and efficient trading method, effectively encouraging growers to pursue quality and achieve premium prices for superior products.

Although the coffee auction system has effectively increased prices for high-quality coffee, it is not without drawbacks. First, the presence of numerous middlemen erodes the interests of coffee farmers, and the high prices obtained at auctions cannot be fully passed back to the hardworking coffee farmers. Second, auctioned coffee makes it difficult to trace production information accurately, and for the increasingly flourishing specialty coffee market, traceability is an important standard for evaluating green beans. Based on these factors, the Kenyan government has begun to relax restrictions on direct coffee trade. Nationally certified exporters can directly sell coffee beans to overseas specialty coffee roasters and other clients. Direct trade can provide greater rewards to farmers who produce high-quality coffee.

Kenyan Coffee Bean Grading System

From FrontStreet Coffee's description above, coffee enthusiasts can see Kenya's emphasis on coffee. It is precisely this emphasis that drives Kenya's pursuit of coffee quality, leading to the implementation of a coffee bean grading system. For example, AA grade coffee beans have the highest quality. Although it's called "grading," does AA grade necessarily taste better than AB grade? What standards does the grading system actually follow?

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Kenya's coffee bean grading standard is primarily based on size grading. The difference between AA and AB is only a matter of size. As for taste, FrontStreet Coffee has concluded through cupping that both AA and AB grade Kenyan coffee beans are very delicious. The flavor differences between regions may primarily stem from factors such as region, altitude, and growing conditions. However, AA and AB grade Kenyan coffee are certainly the most quality-assured coffees.

As mentioned above, these gradings are merely distinctions in bean size. The most famous coffee processing method for Kenyan coffee beans is undoubtedly the K72 washed processing method. Therefore, Kenya's highest quality coffee beans are primarily washed. Washed processed coffee is generally divided into eight grades:

E: Elephant Bean, also called Elephant ear, flat beans larger than 19 screen size.

AA: Bean size 17 to 18 screen size

AB: Bean size 15 to 16 screen size, accounting for the majority of production

TT: Lighter weight beans separated from AA and AB grade beans using air screeners

C: Screen size smaller than AB/below 14 screen size, too small to be classified as specialty grade

T: Lighter weight beans separated from C grade beans (below 14 screen size) using air screeners, too small in both size and density to be classified as specialty grade

PB: Peaberry, classified by shape rather than size, unrelated to flavor or weight, accounting for about 10% of total production

UG: Those that do not meet the above standards

Additionally, there are lower quality natural processed coffee grades that are not subjected to Kenyan-style washing due to poorer quality and are generally used for the domestic Kenyan market. These beans are graded as M'buni. Besides this, FrontStreet Coffee wants to emphasize that this "green bean grading system" still in use today was established by government authorities in 1938, even 40 years before the birth of the "specialty coffee" concept. Therefore, Kenya today has new concepts for coffee bean grading standards, but the size-based grading standard remains more common.

Here are Kenya's current new coffee grading standards:

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Kenyan coffee research institutions and the local industry commonly use a set of procedures formulated by the Kenyan Coffee Research Foundation when assessing coffee quality: Coffee Bean Quality Grading Procedures, which comprehensively grade based on three aspects: green bean quality, roasted bean quality, and cupping quality.

Green bean quality: Subdivided into green bean appearance size, green bean color, and defects.

Roasted bean quality: Subdivided into central crack condition, roasted bean condition, and defective beans.

Cupping quality: Scored based on acidity, body/texture, flavor, and negative defects.

Combining the scores from these three aspects, coffee beans are graded from 1 to 10, with 1 being the best and 10 being the worst.

As can be seen from the above, the difference between AA grade and AB grade, PB grade coffee beans is only in size. However, generally speaking, larger screen size coffee beans have lower defect rates, resulting in cleaner flavors and naturally higher prices.

FrontStreet Coffee: Kenyan Asalia Coffee Beans

Country: Kenya

Region: Asali (Honey Processing Station)

Altitude: 1,550-1,750m

Varieties: SL28, SL34

Processing: 72-hour washed processing

Flavor: Snow pear, black plum, brown sugar, cherry tomato, plum

Coffee Bean Processing: Kenyan 72-Hour Washed

Kenya employs a repeated post-fermentation washing processing method. Processing begins on the day of harvest, selecting the highest quality coffee cherries for pulping and fermentation. Fermentation time is 24 hours, after which the beans are washed with clean river water. Then, they undergo another 24-hour fermentation in clean river water, followed by washing again. This process is repeated 3 times to achieve 72 hours, hence the name Kenyan-style 72-hour fermentation washed processing method, abbreviated as [K72].

① First Washing and Fermentation

After coffee cherry harvest, they first undergo water density sorting. The principle is to use the density and quality differences of the coffee beans themselves for selection; high-density (heavy) coffee beans sink in water, while low-density beans float. Fully ripe, high-quality coffee cherries have high density and are selected for further processing.

After selecting high-quality, sufficiently ripe fruits, the pulp is removed for washed soaking, allowing the mucilage attached to the outer layer of the green beans to ferment. The mucilage contains natural sugars and alcohols that play a crucial role in developing the coffee's sweetness, acidity, and overall flavor. The fermentation period lasts up to 24 hours, during which 80-90% of the mucilage is removed, leaving only the flavor within the coffee beans.

② Second Washing and Fermentation

Next enters the second washing and fermentation process. After the coffee beans from the previous stage are cleaned, they are soaked again in water for 24-48 hours. This process increases proteins and amino acids, creating complex and delicate layers in the coffee's acidity. Finally, all remaining mucilage is removed, and the coffee beans are moved to raised racks for sun drying.

The fermentation period lasts up to 24 hours, during which 80-90% of the mucilage is removed, leaving only the flavor within the coffee beans. Finally, all remaining mucilage is removed, and the coffee beans are moved to raised racks for sun drying. The drying time depends on weather conditions, generally requiring about 5-10 days to complete. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the Kenyan 72-hour fermentation washed processing method, with its long-term low-temperature fermentation followed by sun drying and dehydration, results in beans with brighter, cleaner, yet full-bodied flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Considering that this coffee bean uses a medium-light roast, FrontStreet Coffee employs higher water temperature and a faster flow rate dripper. This is mainly to extract its bright acidic character with high temperature, but to avoid over-extraction due to high temperature, the faster flow V60 dripper is chosen.

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Coffee grounds: 15g

Total water: 225ml

Water temperature: 91°C

Grind size: Fine sugar consistency | EK43s setting 10 (80% pass-through on #20 standard sieve)

First, pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour 95g more (scale shows approximately 125g), completing in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed, pour the remaining 100g (scale shows approximately 225g), completing in about 1 minute 40 seconds. Complete extraction at 2'00", remove the dripper.

Brewing flavor: The first sip reveals black plum and cherry tomato flavors, with strong and substantial acidity. The mid-section features prominent sweetness with a juice-like sensation. The aftertaste carries berry fruit notes and brown sugar sweetness, with green tea aroma.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473