Nav: Home > Coffee >

What Are the Flavor Characteristics of African Coffee and How Has Kenyan Coffee Conquered the World

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Kenya Coffee Introduction: African specialty beans mainly come from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Yemen, but Kenya's coffee industry developed relatively late. It wasn't until the early 20th century that Kenya began coffee cultivation. Although Kenya is geographically close to Ethiopia

Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account cafe_style)

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Kenyan Coffee

Premium African beans mainly come from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Yemen, but Kenya's coffee industry developed relatively late. It was not until the early 20th century that coffee cultivation began. Although Kenya borders Ethiopia, its varieties, bean appearance, and flavor are distinctly different. Kenyan beans are all wet-processed, with plump, full-bodied beans. The rich berry aroma is what captivates coffee enthusiasts most, along with the sour fragrance of plum juice and grapefruit, as well as the refreshing sweet aroma of sugarcane - these are the most typical flavors of Kenyan beans.

The full name of Kenya is the Republic of Kenya, located in eastern Africa, with the equator crossing through its central region and the Great Rift Valley running north to south. To the east lies Somalia, to the south is Tanzania, to the west is Uganda, and to the north it borders Ethiopia and Sudan, with the southeast facing the Indian Ocean. The country is mostly plateau, with an average elevation of 1,500 meters. Mount Kirinyaga (Kenya Mountain) in the central region reaches 5,199 meters, with snow on its summit, making it the second highest peak in Africa.

Altitude, geology, latitude, processing methods, and varieties have established Kenya's coffee as a heavyweight in the specialty coffee world.

Altitude, Latitude, and Geology

The equator passes through Kenya, with the country located within 10 degrees north and south latitude. This belongs to the tropical production region, with two rainy seasons annually, allowing for two harvests: 60% concentrated from October to December, and the remaining 40% from June to August. Coffee is mainly grown in volcanic areas at elevations of 1,600-2,100 meters around the capital Nairobi to the Kenya mountain region. This altitude is suitable for developing coffee bean flavors, as the lower temperatures in mountainous areas slow growth, allowing the aromatic components of coffee beans to fully develop, with more prominent fruit acidity and harder texture. This crescent-shaped coffee zone with fertile soil is the main production area for Kenya's premium beans.

Coffee is Kenya's second export trade product after tea. The main coffee bean variety produced in Kenya is Arabica, considered one of the highest quality coffee varieties in the world.

In the 16th century, Portuguese colonists occupied the coastal areas. In 1890, Germany and Britain partitioned East Africa, with Kenya being assigned to Britain. The British government declared Kenya its "East Africa Protectorate" in 1895, changing it to a colony in 1920. Coffee was grown in large plantations under British colonial rule, with harvested coffee beans shipped to London for sale. In 1933, the Coffee Ordinance was passed, establishing the Kenya Coffee Board, which then transferred coffee sales affairs to Kenya.

In 1934, the auction system was established and is still in use today. The following year, a draft grading system to help improve coffee quality was formally formulated. Kenya became the Republic of Kenya on December 12, 1964, remaining within the Commonwealth. Today, it can produce various types of extremely high-quality coffee. Kenya is quite advanced in coffee research and development, with many farmers possessing highly professional production knowledge. Kenya's coffee bidding system should help producers who value quality obtain higher prices.

Kenya's buyers are all world-class premium coffee purchasers. All coffee beans are first acquired by the Kenya Coffee Board (CBK), where they are inspected and graded, then sold at weekly auctions without further grading during the auction. The Kenya Coffee Board only acts as an agent, collecting coffee samples and sending them to buyers so they can determine price and quality.

Knowledge Point

Arabica is one of the two very important varieties in the commercial coffee industry, with the other important variety being Robusta.

In Brief

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research institute, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation only to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three discounted coffee activities every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest prices. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!