Are There Sun-Dried Processed Coffee Beans in Kenya? Flavor Performance of Sun-Dried Processed Kenya Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee Presents: Kenya Endebess Estate Natural Micro Lot Coffee Beans

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"What! Kenya actually has natural process coffee beans?" This was many people's first reaction when FrontStreet Coffee introduced this coffee bean. In daily life, Kenyan coffee is mostly processed using the 72-hour fermentation washed method, which has created the misconception that "Kenyan coffee beans only come in washed processing."

Region: Northern Great Rift Valley

Altitude: 1750-1950m

Processing Method: Natural Process

Variety: SL28, SL34

Grade: AA

Endebess Estate

The estate is located in the northern part of Kenya's Rift Valley, near the town of Kitale in Trans Nzoia County. Endebess Estate covers approximately 758 hectares of land, of which 248 hectares are used for coffee cultivation.

The Rift Valley contains the Cherang'any Hills and a series of volcanoes, some of which remain active. The Cherang'any Hills are one of Kenya's five major forests and water catchment areas, spanning three counties: Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet, and West Pokot. Endebess Estate is situated at the foot of Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano on the border between Uganda and Kenya. The rich volcanic soil and water sources naturally make it an ideal location for coffee tree growth.

As early as the 1940s, Endebess Estate had its own coffee processing facilities. In addition to coffee grown on their own plantation, the owner also purchases coffee from surrounding smallholders for processing. When high-quality cherries are encountered, the owner purchases them at higher prices. This practice not only increases the income of smallholders but also encourages them to continue cultivating with care. These high-quality coffee cherries are separated for micro-batch processing, ensuring this batch of coffee beans can achieve the best performance.

The estate was previously owned and managed by Mr. E.W. d'Ollier. In 1976, it was sold to Gatatha Farmers Company Limited, and then transferred again in 2011 to its current owner, Kaitet Tea Plantations.

After the current owner took over, greater emphasis was placed on employee welfare and social responsibility. Since 2011, the estate has helped renovate over 15 houses and sponsored two high school students to receive better education. Starting from 2012, the estate has continuously improved its infrastructure, resulting in increasingly better coffee quality. The owner plans to expand their social responsibility initiatives as profits increase.

Coffee Varieties

SL28 & SL34

During the period of 1935-1939, coffee varieties selected and bred by Scott Laboratories were all prefixed with "SL". The laboratory selected 42 varieties from different origins and studied their yield, quality, drought resistance, and disease resistance. After numbering and screening them one by one, SL-28 and SL-34 were finally selected. Relatively speaking, SL-28 gained a higher reputation, while SL-34 is more productive and requires slightly lower altitudes for cultivation.

SL28 belongs to the Bourbon genetic group and has drought resistance but poor resistance to coffee leaf rust. SL28 beans resemble the Bourbon variety - round and thick. SL34 is genetically closer to Typica, with bean appearance more similar to the slender, oval characteristics of Typica varieties. From the side view, SL34 beans appear flatter and not as full as Typica varieties.

Flavor Differences Between SL28 & SL34

Through differentiation and separate cupping, FrontStreet Coffee believes that the flavor profiles of SL28 and SL34 varieties are similar, both featuring complex and varied berry-like acidity and caramel sweetness in the finish.

If we must distinguish between them, SL34 has a heavier body with acidity leaning toward the fullness of blackberry juice, with overall sweet-sour balance and a caramel finish. SL28 leans toward blueberry juice acidity, with slightly elevated overall acidity and higher sweetness, displaying the high sweetness characteristic of Bourbon varieties.

Natural Processing Method

This batch of beans acquired by FrontStreet Coffee is fully washed using water from the Koitobos River at Endebess Estate, then placed on raised beds to dry. Depending on weather conditions, it typically takes 21 to 28 days to dry completely. During the drying process, coffee cherries are turned at least four times daily to ensure even drying. When the moisture content of the coffee cherries drops to 10-12%, machines are used to remove the fruit skin and pulp before storage.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations

Heat the roaster to 180°C before charging the beans, with heat at 130 and damper at 3. The turning point occurs at 1'42". When the temperature reaches 140°C, open the damper to 4. At 146°C, the bean surface turns yellow and grassy aroma completely disappears. At 166°C, reduce the heat to 100 while keeping the damper unchanged.

At 7'25", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toasted bread aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma - this can be defined as the prelude to first crack. Listen carefully for the sound of first crack, which begins at 8'20". Reduce heat to 70 while keeping the damper unchanged. Develop for 1'45" after first crack, then discharge at 194°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

Dry Aroma: Cherry tomato

Wet Aroma: Caramel

Flavor: Cherry tomato, smoked plum, lemon, caramel, cream, black tea

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Tips

Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee found that this natural Kenya has a fuller and more solid body compared to washed Kenya. Therefore, when brewing this natural Kenya, the grind size can be slightly coarser, similar to the size of coarse sugar, which will result in coffee with more layered complexity.

Dripper: Hario V60

Dose: 15g

Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Medium-fine (72% retention on #20 standard sieve)

Water Temperature: 90°C

First, pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. In the second pour, create small circles in the center and pour 125g of water. Use gentle pouring force to minimize agitation of the coffee bed, with flow rate at approximately 4g per second. When the water level drops to 1/2 of the coffee bed, begin the third pour. This pour should also be gentle, starting from the center and spiraling outward until reaching 225g. End extraction when all coffee liquid has dripped through the filter, with a total time of 1'54". After brewing is complete, gently swirl the filter to ensure the coffee is well mixed before tasting.

Brewing Flavors: At high temperature, it has a caramel aroma. The initial taste is cherry tomato juiciness and smoked plum acidity. As the temperature slightly decreases, lemon acidity and cream-like smoothness emerge. The finish has black tea notes, with an overall pronounced sweet aftertaste.

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Important Notice :

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