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

"Wait — Kenya actually produces natural process coffee?" That was the reaction of many people when FrontStreet Coffee first introduced this bean. In everyday coffee circles, Kenyan coffee is almost synonymous with the 72-hour fermented washed process, which has created the widespread misconception that "Kenyan coffee only comes washed."

Region: Northern Great Rift Valley

Altitude: 1750-1950m

Processing Method: Natural Process

Variety: SL28, SL34

Grade: AA

Endebess Estate

The estate sits in the northern reaches of Kenya's Rift Valley, close to the town of Kitale in Trans Nzoia County. Endebess Estate spans roughly 758 hectares of land, of which 248 hectares are devoted to coffee cultivation.

The Rift Valley is home to the Cherang'any Hills and a chain of volcanoes, some of which are still active. The Cherang'any Hills are one of Kenya's five major forest and water catchment areas, stretching across three counties: Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet, and West Pokot. Endebess Estate lies at the foot of Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano on the Uganda-Kenya border. The rich volcanic soil and abundant water sources make it a naturally ideal home for coffee trees.

As far back as the 1940s, Endebess Estate operated its own coffee processing facilities. Beyond the coffee grown on the plantation itself, the owner also buys cherries from surrounding smallholder farmers for processing. When exceptional cherries come in, the owner pays a premium for them — a practice that not only raises smallholders' incomes but also encourages them to keep farming with care. These top-quality cherries are set aside for micro-lot processing, giving this particular batch of beans the best possible chance to shine.

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

Under the current ownership, far greater attention has been given to employee welfare and social responsibility. Since 2011, the estate has helped renovate more than 15 houses and has sponsored two high school students so they could continue their education. From 2012 onward, the estate has steadily upgraded its infrastructure, and coffee quality has improved year after year. The owner intends to expand these social responsibility programs as profits grow.

Coffee Varieties

SL28 & SL34

Between 1935 and 1939, the coffee varieties that Scott Laboratories selected and bred all carried the "SL" prefix. The laboratory gathered 42 varieties from different origins and studied their yield, cup quality, drought tolerance, and disease resistance. After numbering and screening them one by one, SL-28 and SL-34 emerged as the winners. Relatively speaking, SL-28 earned the loftier reputation, while SL-34 is the more productive of the two and can be cultivated at slightly lower altitudes.

SL28 belongs to the Bourbon genetic group; it tolerates drought well but has poor resistance to coffee leaf rust. SL28 beans resemble the Bourbon variety — round and thick. SL34 is genetically closer to Typica, and its beans show the slender, oval look typical of Typica. Seen from the side, SL34 beans appear flatter and not quite as plump as Typica.

Flavor Differences Between SL28 & SL34

After separating and cupping the two varieties side by side, FrontStreet Coffee found their flavor profiles remarkably similar: both show complex, layered berry-like acidity and a caramel sweetness in the finish.

If you insist on drawing a distinction: SL34 has the heavier body, with acidity leaning toward the fullness of blackberry juice, an overall sweet-tart balance, and a caramel finish. SL28 leans toward blueberry-like acidity, with slightly higher overall acidity and greater sweetness, displaying the pronounced sweetness characteristic of Bourbon varieties.

Natural Processing Method

The batch FrontStreet Coffee acquired is fully natural processed at Endebess Estate. The whole cherries are laid out to dry on raised beds, where — depending on the weather — they typically take 21 to 28 days to dry completely. During drying, the cherries are turned at least four times a day to ensure they dry evenly. Once the moisture content of the cherries drops to 10-12%, machines remove the dried skin and pulp before the beans go into 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 the grassy aroma disappears completely. At 166°C, reduce the heat to 100 while keeping the damper unchanged.

At 7'25", wrinkling and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toasted-bread aroma clearly shifts into coffee aroma — this marks the prelude to first crack. Listen carefully for first crack, which begins at 8'20". Reduce the heat to 70 with 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, more solid body than its washed counterpart. When brewing this natural Kenya, therefore, the grind can be set slightly coarser — roughly the size of coarse sugar — which produces a cup 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. For the second pour, work in small circles from the center and pour 125g of water. Keep the pouring gentle to minimize agitation of the coffee bed, at a flow rate of roughly 4g per second. When the water level drops to half the height of the coffee bed, begin the third pour. This pour should be equally gentle, starting from the center and spiraling outward until you reach 225g. End the extraction once all the coffee liquid has dripped through, with a total time of 1'54". After brewing, give the server a gentle swirl to blend the coffee evenly before tasting.

Brewing Flavors: At high temperature there is a caramel aroma. The first sip brings cherry tomato juiciness and smoked plum acidity. As the cup cools slightly, lemon acidity and a cream-like smoothness emerge, and the finish carries black tea notes with a pronounced sweet aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this natural Kenya sparks your curiosity about Kenyan coffee in general, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Kenya "Cherry Tomato" beans are an excellent next step. Kenya is famous for its double washed (double fermented) processing of green beans — an extra washing pass that includes floatation, soaking, washing off the residual mucilage, soaking again, then drying and hulling for storage. That repeated rinsing and soaking pushes a juice-like quality to the extreme.

In the cup, FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Cherry Tomato delivers rich aromas of cherry tomato, smoked plum, snow pear, black plum, and yellow sugar, with a sweet-tart, juicy mouthfeel — a favorite among many coffee enthusiasts, and a perfect side-by-side comparison against this natural lot.