Does Kenya Have Sun-Dried Coffee Beans? Flavor Performance of Sun-Dried Kenya Coffee Beans

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The Surprising Discovery: Natural Process Kenya Coffee

"What! Kenya actually has natural process coffee beans?" This was the first reaction of many people when FrontStreet Coffee brought out this batch of coffee beans. The Kenya coffee beans we encounter daily are mostly processed using the 72-hour fermentation washed method, which has created the misconception that "Kenya coffee beans only come in washed processing."

FrontStreet Coffee - Kenya Endebess Estate Natural Micro-Lot Coffee Beans

Origin: Northern Rift Valley, East Africa

Altitude: 1750-1950m

Processing Method: Natural Process

Varieties: SL28, SL34

Grade: AA

Endebess Estate

The estate is located in the northern Rift Valley of Kenya, near the town of Kitale in Nzoiya 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 Marakworld, 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 trees to grow.

As early as the 1940s, Endebess Estate had its own coffee processing facilities. In addition to the coffee grown on the estate, the owner also purchases coffee from surrounding small farmers for processing. When encountering high-quality coffee cherries, the owner offers higher prices, which not only increases the income of small farmers but also encourages them to continue cultivating with care. These high-quality coffee cherries are separated by the owner for micro-batch processing, ensuring that this batch of coffee beans can deliver 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 more than 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 social responsibility initiatives as profits increase.

Coffee Varieties

SL28 & SL34

Between 1935-1939, the coffee varieties selected and bred by Scott Laboratories were prefixed with SL. The laboratory selected 42 varieties from different origins and studied their yield, quality, as well as drought and disease resistance. After individual numbering and screening, SL-28 and SL-34 were ultimately selected. Relatively speaking, SL-28 has gained a higher reputation, while SL-34 is more productive and requires slightly lower growing altitudes.

SL28 belongs to the Bourbon genetic group and has drought resistance but poor resistance to coffee leaf rust. SL28 beans resemble the Bourbon variety, being round and full-bodied. SL34 is genetically closer to Typica, and its beans also resemble the elongated, oval-shaped characteristics of the Typica variety. From a side view, SL34 beans appear flatter and not as full as the Typica variety.

Flavor Differences Between SL28 & SL34

Through differentiation and separate cupping, FrontStreet Coffee believes that the flavors of the SL28 and SL34 varieties are similar, both featuring complex and varied berry-like acidity with a caramel-sweet aftertaste.

If we must distinguish between them, SL34 tends to have a heavier body, with acidity leaning toward the fullness of blackberry juice, offering overall sweet-sour balance with a caramel aftertaste. SL28, on the other hand, leans more toward blueberry juice acidity, with slightly elevated overall acidity and higher sweetness, exhibiting the characteristic high sweetness of Bourbon varieties.

Natural Processing Method

This batch of beans that FrontStreet Coffee acquired is from the Endebess Estate, which first thoroughly washes the beans using water from the Koitobos River, then dries them on raised beds. Depending on weather conditions, it typically takes 21 to 28 days to dry completely. During the drying process, the 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 Suggestions

Preheat the roaster to 180°C, then add the beans with heat at 130 and the damper at 3. The turning point occurs at 1'42". When the temperature reaches 140°C, open the damper to 4. When the temperature reaches 146°C, the bean surface turns yellow and the grassy aroma completely disappears. When the temperature reaches 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 toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma - this can be defined as the prelude to first crack. Listen carefully for the sound of the first crack at this point. At 8'20", the first crack begins, reduce the 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, dried plum, lemon, caramel, cream, black tea

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Experience

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

Dripper: Hario V60

Dose: 15g

Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Medium-fine (72% pass-through rate with #20 standard sieve)

Water Temperature: 90°C

First, pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. For the second pour, pour 125g of water in small circles at the center, with gentle pouring force to minimize agitation of the coffee bed, with water flow rate at 4g per second. When the water level drops to half the height of the coffee bed, begin the third pour. This pour is also made gently from the center outward in circles until reaching 225g total. End the extraction when all the coffee liquid has dripped through the filter, which takes 1'54". After brewing is complete, gently swirl the coffee to ensure it's well mixed before tasting.

Brewing Flavor: At high temperature, it has a caramel aroma. The initial taste reveals cherry tomato juice quality and dried plum acidity. As the temperature slightly decreases, lemon acidity and cream-like smoothness emerge. The aftertaste has a black tea sensation, with an overall noticeable sweet aftertaste.

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Important Notice :

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