Flavor Characteristics of Embu Kenya Currant Coffee Beans

Kenya Embu Region EMBU

The Embu region is located in Embu County, Kenya, near Mount Kenya, which is the largest dormant volcano in the East African Rift Valley. The coffee cultivation altitude in the Embu region ranges from approximately 1,300 to 1,900 meters. The volcanic soil here is fertile, and besides coffee trees, locals also grow tea bushes, which are the two major export cash crops in the area.

Approximately 70% of the population in Embu County engages in small-scale family farming. Individual farmers' yields are relatively small, so they sell to cooperatives for processing, which eventually export and sell under the cooperatives' names.

The ENA Processing Plant is one of two washing stations managed by New Runyenjes. It is located about 150 kilometers north of Nairobi, Kenya's capital. Small farmers in this area deliver fresh coffee cherries grown in their backyards to the washing station for processing, and then sell them according to the grading by the ENA Processing Plant.

Processing Method

The ENA Processing Plant manually sorts coffee cherries to remove defective beans, then removes the skin and pulp, washes them with clean water, and places them on raised beds for drying. This process typically lasts 14-21 days until the coffee beans' moisture content reaches 11-12%. Then they are packaged and stored in warehouses, awaiting export sales. Due to multiple fermentation and scrubbing during the washing process, the flavor presents a cleaner acidity. The ENA Processing Plant not only implements water-saving measures but also encourages farmers to protect the sources of living water, maintaining the entire ecological environment of cultivation.

Coffee Varieties

Due to the widespread outbreak of coffee berry disease in Kenya during the 20th century, Scott Laboratories developed new disease-resistant varieties SL28 and SL34 to address this situation. These new varieties have the ability to resist coffee berry disease and effectively combat leaf rust, and have been widely cultivated since the 1930s.

SL28 belongs to the Bourbon genetic group, with round, thick beans that have strong drought resistance, high yields, and pure flavor.

In the 1970s, Kenya developed the new variety Ruiru 11 to cultivate coffee varieties resistant to leaf rust. It can be intensively cultivated without shade trees and has advantages of high yield, coffee rust resistance, and coffee berry disease resistance.

FrontStreet Coffee: Kenya Keliguo Coffee Beans

Region: Kenya Embu ENA Cooperative
Altitude: 1,600-1,800 meters
Varieties: SL28 Ruiru 11
Processing: Washed
Flavor: Berries, Dark Plum, Pomelo, Earl Grey Tea

Brewing Reference

In terms of roasting, this Kenyan coffee has fruit characteristics, aiming to preserve more refreshing acidity and dark fruit flavors. FrontStreet Coffee's roaster chose a light roast. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee found that this Keliguo coffee has very diverse flavor layers, with a dry aroma of dried berries, and an entry of apple and grape acidity, with soft honey sweetness, and an overall mellow Earl Grey tea taste.

Dripper: V60
Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Coffee Amount: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Fine sugar size (80% passes through #20 sieve)
Segmented Extraction: Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour water in a small circular motion to 124g for segmentation. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 228g and stop. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper (timing starts from the bloom). Extraction time is 1'55".

After grinding, the Keliguo coffee has a rich tomato aroma, with plum and berry acidity upon entry, accompanied by caramel sweetness and the fresh fragrance of pomelo, reminiscent of drinking a cup of Earl Grey tea.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473