Coffee Bean Knowledge: Kenya's Finest Peaberry PB TOP

Understanding Kenya Coffee: Premium Quality and Grading

Kenya coffee is widely recognized as a premium coffee, possessing the wild characteristics of African coffee while simultaneously exhibiting the rich body and boldness of American coffees. These qualities have made Kenya coffee beloved by coffee enthusiasts worldwide. Many people are familiar with Kenya AA, which is the most common marker for Kenya coffee in the domestic market. In reality, AA is a grade of Kenya coffee, with lower grades including AB, and higher grades including AA+ and AA TOP. If coffee beans are simply marked as AA, it generally indicates that the coffee is a general AA-grade selection without specific farm or cooperative designation, meaning the flavor may not be optimal—it only confirms that the bean shape meets standards and has good appearance. However, if the labeling specifies a particular farm, cooperative, or even purchaser, then whether it's AA or AB grade, these beans are worth trying.

Understanding Peaberry: The Rare Round Bean

Now let me introduce PB, which stands for Peaberry—what we commonly call round beans. Typically, a coffee cherry contains two seeds, which are our common coffee beans with one curved side and one flat side, similar to peanut shapes. We call these flat beans. Peaberries, however, occur when a coffee cherry contains only one bean, which has an elliptical shape. These represent a very small proportion of the entire coffee tree's fruit harvest.

The industry has not reached a definitive conclusion about the quality of peaberries. Some believe that peaberries don't taste as good as flat beans, while others argue that peaberries concentrate the nutrients of two beans into one, containing richer substances and therefore offering better flavor. I haven't conducted any personal analysis or comparison on this matter. However, one can imagine that peaberries are all selected manually, one by one, ensuring overall quality, so it's not surprising that they taste excellent.

Kenya Peaberry: Exceptional Quality and Processing

Kenya is a country that specifically selects peaberries for separate sale, but Kenya peaberries are not commonly found in the domestic market. Kiaga Farm is located between the Rutene and Rwarai rivers at an altitude of approximately 1,900 meters, making it an excellent location for growing and processing premium coffee. FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya PB beans are significantly smaller than Kenya AA grade beans, with a round shape that facilitates even heat distribution during roasting. To preserve the distinctive wild character of FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya coffee, medium roasting is generally employed, with the beans removed about 40 seconds after the first crack ends. The beans show obvious wrinkles, have a light color, and are easily accepted by consumers.

FrontStreet Coffee Kenya PB Cupping Review

The dry aroma presents citrus notes similar to Yirgacheffe coffee. Upon tasting, there's a distinct orange flavor that creates a surprising sensation. The wild characteristic of Kenya coffee is particularly prominent in this FrontStreet Coffee Kenya AA bean. The acidity is clean and bright, with orange flavors and notes reminiscent of pomelo tea, yet the acidity is not abrupt—it's remarkably smooth and harmonious. As the acidity gradually dissipates, one can perceive a honey-like sweetness, leaving a long-lasting aftertaste.

Important Notice :

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