Coffee culture

The SL28 Variety: An Exceptionally Rare Gem in Central American Specialty Coffee

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/27, The SL28 variety is exceptionally rare in Central America. This cultivar originates from Lake Tanganyika in East Africa and was discovered in 1931. It features broad leaves with a reddish tint, can adapt to quite high altitude environments, and possesses excellent drought and disease resistance. Its yield is higher than traditional varieties, and its flavor profile performance is remarkable.

The SL28 variety is extremely rare in Central America. This cultivar originates from Lake Tanganyika in East Africa and was discovered in 1931. It features broad leaves with a light reddish tint, can adapt to quite high altitude environments, and possesses excellent drought and disease resistance. Its yield is also higher than traditional varieties, and its flavor profile is truly distinctive.

In 1935, the Scott's Laboratory named this variety "SL" after the laboratory's initials, with "28" being the selection number. It was subsequently widely cultivated in Kenya, and currently only a few estates in Central American producing countries with both capability and experience produce it.

Kenya's Unique SL28 Heritage

A direct Bourbon descendant selected and cultivated by French and British missionaries and researchers in Kenya in the early 20th century. Over the past century, it has adapted to Kenya's high-phosphorus soil, nurturing FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan coffee beans with their special acidic aromas, distinguishing them from Bourbon beans in Central and South America.

This Kenya native variety was created in 1930 by Scott Laboratories, abbreviated as SL. Agronomists sought to find a Bourbon variety that was disease-resistant and high-yielding, and through experimentation, they obtained SL28. SL28 is a genetic variant with mixed heritage including French Mission, Mocha, and Yemeni Typica.

The original goal in developing SL28 was to mass-produce coffee beans that combined high quality with disease resistance. Although the later-developed SL28 with its copper-colored leaves and broad bean shape did not yield as abundantly as expected, the unique coffee flavor it developed gives FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan coffee wonderful sweetness, balance, and complex, varied flavors, along with distinctive citrus and black plum characteristics.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473

0