Roasted - Kenya AA FAQ (Coffee of the Week)

About the bean

In the heart of Kenya, coffee is more than just a crop; it's a communal effort. Hundreds of cooperatives unite more than 600,000 smallholder farmers. These cooperatives ensure top-quality coffee while strengthening communities.

The backbone of Kenya's coffee industry, most farmers cultivate plots of less than five acres. Sharing knowledge, resources, and a commitment to sustainable practices with each other, together, they're not just growing coffee; they're cultivating a more empowered and united community. Kenya is renowned for producing some of the world's most distinctive coffees. Grown on the high plateaus around Mount Kenya, beans from here capture the essence of the land, offering a vibrant, bold flavour profile in tandem with a delightful balance of fruity and wine-like notes. This unique combination makes Kenyan coffee a sought-after choice for coffee enthusiasts worldwide.

We sampled our new lot of Kenya AA as a City roast, brewed in a V60, which produced a very clean cup. Our first sip expressed a nice balance between sweet and acidic. The floral note was evident throughout. As a high-grade (AA) bean, this coffee roasts well but, due to its density, might need more heat than usual. This offering is usually recommended as an espresso, drip (and cold brew in warmer weather). We also think going less dark will produce an ultra juicy result for those of you who prefer espresso bases pulled from a lighter roast.

Cupping Notes

Bright acidity, harmonious blend of floral, fruit, and berry with a lingering black currant and wine-like finish.

Region: Central Kenya
Altitude: 1,700 masl.
Processing: Fully Washed and sun-dried on raised beds
Varietal: Batian, SL-28 and SL 34, Ruiru 11
AA: Kenya's highest grade, this designation refers to bean size: typically 7.2 and 7.8 millimeters in diameter
FAQ: Fair Average Quality
Cupping score: 84 (out of 100 points; over 85 considered excellent)

Roasting recommendation: Medium - City to City+. It's easy to go too dark because Kenya AA is a dense bean (the brightness will be lost). 

Our roasted Coffee of the Week is exclusively available in the following three roast profiles: City, Full City and Vienna. For an explanation of our different roasts, see here: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart.