African Kenya Premium Coffee Beans - Flavor Profile and Unique Characteristics of Kenyan Specialty Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya coffee is mostly grown at altitudes of 1500-2100 meters, with harvests twice a year. Its main characteristic is a distinct fruit aroma, commonly citrus. FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya coffee has multi-layered flavors and juice-like acidity, with perfect grapefruit and wine notes, moderate body, and is a favorite single-origin among many coffee industry professionals. Kenya coffee gained further fame through the Hollywood film "Out of Africa."

Taste Profile

FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya AA features round beans with thick pulp, excellent heat conductivity, and high refinement. Using French roasting, it delivers a rich, sweet flavor with body, good expansion, and superior aroma and sweetness.

Coffee industry professionals universally consider Kenya coffee one of their favorite products because Kenya coffee encompasses every sensation we seek from a good cup of coffee. FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya coffee has magnificent, satisfying aromatics, balanced and pleasant acidity, uniform particles, and excellent fruit flavors. The taste is quite unique with few similar coffees. FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya coffee's characteristic is a distinct fruit aroma. Try to find this flavor in the coffee and notice how it feels in your mouth. The common fruit aroma is citrus. FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya coffee has multi-layered flavors and juice-like acidity, with perfect grapefruit and wine notes, moderate body.

Origin of Kenya Coffee

Coffee entered Kenya in the 19th century when Ethiopian coffee beverages were imported via South Yemen. However, it wasn't until the early 20th century that Bourbon coffee trees were introduced by the St. Austin Mission.

Kenya coffee is mostly grown at altitudes of 1500-2100 meters, with harvests twice a year. To ensure only ripe berries are picked, people must patrol the fields approximately 7 times. Kenya coffee is grown by small farmers who, after harvesting, first send fresh coffee beans to cooperative washing stations. The washing stations then send washed and dried coffee in "parchment coffee" state (coffee beans covered with inner pericarp) to cooperatives. All coffee is collected together, and growers demand average prices based on actual quality. This trading method generally works well and is fair to both growers and consumers.

Current Status of Kenya Coffee

The Kenyan government takes the coffee industry extremely seriously, where cutting or destroying coffee trees is illegal. Kenya coffee buyers are world-class premium coffee buyers, and no country can continuously grow, produce, and sell coffee like Kenya. All coffee beans are first purchased by the Coffee Board of Kenya (CBK), where they are inspected, graded, and then sold at weekly auctions without further grading. The Coffee Board of Kenya only acts as an agent, collecting coffee samples and distributing them to buyers to help them determine prices and quality. The Nairobi auction is held for private exporters, with the Coffee Board of Kenya paying growers below-market prices. The best coffee grade is Peaberry (PB), followed by AA++, AA+, AA, AB, and so on. Premium coffee is bright, delicious, and slightly wine-like. Auctions are also organized to meet blender demands. These auctions typically handle smaller quantities (3-6 tons per lot) with samples bearing grower marks for buyer tasting. After auctions, exporters package according to different flavors, qualities, and quantities required by blenders. This provides great flexibility for blenders. Quality-conscious Germans and Nordics are long-term buyers of Kenya coffee.

Globally, Kenya's coffee growth is evident, with exports of 800,000 bags in 1969-1970 increasing to 2 million bags by 1985-1986. Production generally stabilizes at 1.6 million bags, with an average yield of about 650 kg per hectare. Before the coffee price surge, Kenya coffee's average price was already rising. 1993-1994 prices were 50% higher than 12 months prior. The price increase was mainly due to increased demand.

Some Kenya coffee buyers, particularly Japanese merchants, have expressed dissatisfaction with Kenya's coffee industry system. Some merchants have noted that the country's coffee quality has declined and suggested that purchasing directly from farmers might be a way to improve quality. However, regardless of these issues, Kenya's detailed regulations and comprehensive procedures serve as a worthwhile model for all coffee-producing countries.

Kenya coffee gained further fame through the Hollywood film "Out of Africa."

In the film, the heroine Karen played by Meryl Streep is a writer and coffee plantation owner. Many probably still remember the touching scenery and magnificent sunsets in the film, but even more unforgettable is Karen's dream of owning a coffee plantation in Africa.

Important Notice :

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