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Origins of African Kenya Coffee Beans and Pour-Over Flavor Characteristics

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 public account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - History and Flavor Introduction to Kenyan Coffee. The history of coffee cultivation in Kenya dates back only a century. By the twentieth century, Kenyans began large-scale development of coffee cultivation under the leadership of British and German colonizers. Today, Kenya's coffee production units are based on

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

FrontStreet Coffee - Kenya Coffee History and Flavor Introduction

The history of coffee cultivation in Kenya dates back only a hundred years. It wasn't until the 20th century that Kenyans began large-scale coffee cultivation under the guidance of British and German colonizers. Today, Kenya's coffee production consists mainly of small plantations with an average area of only half an acre.

Although Kenya produces 49,980 metric tons of coffee beans annually, with production far smaller than global leaders, Kenyan coffee has numerous followers in the specialty coffee community. Currently, most of it is exported to developed countries in Europe and Asia, where purchasers are world-class quality buyers.

Kenyan coffee is famous for its aroma, richness, fruity flavors, and perfect full-bodied taste. It possesses a wonderful fruity flavor, with notes of blackberry and grapefruit, making it a favorite among many coffee connoisseurs. This coffee features excellent medium purity with a crisp and refreshing taste.

Why It's Called a Coffee Industry Specialty

Most of Kenya's coffee crops grow in the fertile, loose, acidic volcanic red soil on the highlands north and east of Nairobi. Here, there is abundant sunlight and good drainage, with altitudes ranging between 1,400-2,000 meters. Due to the greater temperature differences between day and night at higher altitudes, Kenyan coffee has a longer maturation period than lower-altitude origins, resulting in higher density and richer flavors. Kenyan coffee cultivated under such conditions, known as the "Connoisseurs' Cup," enjoys a reputation for its rich aroma, vibrant acidity, full body, and elegant red wine flavors.

Due to the KONO dripper's relatively short ribs, which stop at less than half the height of the dripper, this design is primarily intended to ensure that during the dripping process, the filter paper can cling closely to the dripper wall after absorbing water. This restricts the dripper's exhaust space, naturally limiting air flow and slowing the flow rate, allowing the coffee grounds to remain soaked for a significant portion of the time. This increases the water absorption time of the coffee particles, resulting in a more balanced extracted coffee that is less likely to be under-extracted.

Parameters & Techniques

Water temperature: 90°C; medium-fine grind (BG 5R: 58% pass rate through China standard No. 20 sieve); powder-to-water ratio 1:15.

Using 15 grams of powder, bloom with 32 grams of water for 30 seconds. When pouring water to 129 grams, perform segmentation. Continue pouring water to 228 grams when the water level drops and is about to reveal the coffee bed. (Timing starts from the beginning of blooming) Extraction time is 2'03".

Flavor Profile

Has acidic notes of cherry tomatoes, lemon, grapefruit, and berries. The middle section features cream and chocolate flavors, with a distinct caramel sweetness. The overall taste is rich and full-bodied.

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a specialty coffee research center, happy to share knowledge about coffee with everyone. We share without reservation only to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, there are three discounted coffee events each month. The reason is that FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price, which has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!