Kenyan Coffee is by far one of the best in the world when it comes down to flavor and quality. They have some of the most unique and complex flavors, so if you are someone that loves to experiment, or have more extravagant needs when it comes to coffee preference, you are in for quite a journey. I am someone who loves a good quality bold flavored cup of brew, and more intricate notes, and learning more about the origins, I have fulfilled my love for both by exploring all the different coffees from many countries. Thus, I must add that this far, Kenyan coffee has truly intrigued me the most, with its flavors offering a whole new taste experience.
What Makes Kenyan Coffee So Special?
The Coffee Beans produced in Kenya are popular for their bright and bold flavors, with wine-like acidity. Most Coffee farms harvest their coffee by hand and process them using the wet process method. Coffee is grown in rich volcanic soil with high altitudes and ideal climates.
A few factors that make Kenyan Coffee so Special;
- The best conditions for coffee cultivation are created because of the Unique soil, climate, and altitude combinations.
- Kenya has unique coffee flavors that are bright, bold, and fruity, with more of a winey acidity.
- Kenya is the largest coffee exporter in Africa and the third largest in the world.
- Coffee beans are harvested by hand and wet processed which improves the flavor profile.
- Arabica and Robusta coffee is grown in Kenya.
- Kenyan Coffee production is regulated with strict standards to ensure exceptional quality.
Distinctive Characteristics of Kenyan Coffee
Kenyan Coffee is unique and set far apart from other coffee varieties. The coffee can be described as having a very distinct taste that is bold and complex, with acidic and fruity undertones, that is well balanced by a rich and smooth body. Kenyan coffee is highly sought after by many coffee enthusiasts.
Kenyan Coffee has some very diverse Features that set it apart from the rest;
- High caffeine Content – Kenyan coffee has a bold and energetic taste, with quite a kick, as it has much higher caffeine content. Because Kenyan coffee matures slowly in high altitudes, the coffee cherries have a higher concentration of caffeine.
- Subtle Sweet Taste – In a more traditional sense, Kenyan coffee has typically been described as having a sweet taste, characterized by brighter acidity and more fruity undertones. The sweetness is still quite subtle and rarely noticed.
- Balanced Flavor – Kenyan coffee does not have a bitter taste, especially in the medium roasts, Some of the darker roasts may lean towards a very slightly bitter taste, however, this is always balanced out by the fruity notes.
- Robusta and Arabica Coffee – Kenya produces both Robusta and Arabica coffee types. Though they are more well known, the Arabica is better quality and has less of a bitter taste. Robusta coffee in Kenya is mostly used in lower-quality blends and is not highly regarded in Kenya.
Interesting Facts on How Kenya Processes Their Coffee
In Kenya, the Arabica coffee species is grown almost exclusively, and processed specifically using the wet method. Harvesting usually takes place between October and December following a precise process;
1. Harvesting
Coffee cherries are handpicked usually involving members of the family, or hired labor. The Cherries are picked up by factories almost immediately after harvesting.
2. Cherry Sorting
The Cherries are sorted to remove all damaged, dry, or immature berries, as well as twigs and leaves before the cherries can be pulped.
3. Pulping
The Pulp from the Cherry is removed mechanically leaving you with parchment coffee, after which the pulp is graded 1 or 2, and lights, which depends on how dense or large the coffee beans are. The coffee with a 1 grade will go into fermentation tanks, while 2 and light grades are processed again using a smaller pulper.
4. Fermentation
Fermentation is used to wash off the mucilage layer on the parchment, using chemicals such as lime and alkaline carbonates. The parchment is tested by washing a small amount and feeling the coffee by hand. When the coffee parchment feels gritty, the fermentation process is completed.
5. Underwater Soaking
After Fermentation, the coffee is soaked under water for around 12 hours, which has proved to improve the taste and color of the coffee beans. The Parchment is thoroughly washed before starting the soaking process.
6. Final Washing and Grading
When the soaking is completed the parchment is washed again thoroughly with clean water and passed through concrete channels with a wooden panel. The channels are painted black to allow heat retention during fermentation and to reduce friction. During the final washing process, the coffee is graded once again in a similar fashion.
7. Drying
The freshly pulped coffee will have a very high moisture count of around 555, which will need to be reduced to 11% at least, most farmers dry their coffee in the sun, while commercial estates use mechanical dryers. The Coffee needs an 11% moisture content that is ideal for storage.
8. Coffee Storage
After the drying process, the coffee will be stored at the Cooperative storage facilities before it is delivered for hulling. The Coffee is stored in sacks on wooden pellets 0.5m above the ground and walls, in a well-circulated storage room.
Dry Method of Coffee Processing
On rare occasions, the dry method is used for processing Arabica coffee. The method involves drying the cherries to reduce the moisture content to 11 %, and then they are hulled, removing the dry pulp parchment in one single operation.
The Most Popular Kenyan Coffee Varieties and Regions
There are most certainly some Kenyan coffee varieties that have received much more popularity than others, though it is quite difficult to determine what the “best” coffee variety from Kenya is, as every individual has their taste preferences. Kenyan coffee is similarly graded either AA which is the highest quality or AB – C which is lower quality coffee. Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Nyeri, and Muranga are counties in Kenya that produce the most AA-grade coffees.
That said here is a list of Kenyan coffee varieties in order of the best quality and most popular;
1. SL
SL stands for “Scotts Laboratory” which is a research center in Kenya that creates the SL coffee varieties. There is the SL 34 variety which is a high-volume output coffee plant and one of the first varieties referred to as “Bourbon” coffee previously. Unfortunately, the quality of the SL 34 is less than the SL 28 which is the highest quality coffee in Kenya, and similarly a high-yielding coffee variety. SL 34 coffee is mostly found in the Kiambu, and Kirinyaga regions of Kenya, while SL 28 is found in Nyeri and Kiambu.
2. K7
The K7 variety is a traditional Kenyan coffee, released in 1936, after 5 generations of research by “Scotts Laboratory”. It is a full-bodied variety that has a very subtle acidity when compared to the SL variants. K7 is mainly found in the Kisii, and Nyamira counties in Kenya, which also produce SL 34 and SL 28 variants.
3. Riuru
Riuru coffee is said to be a hybrid coffee variety that is grafted into some of the traditional coffee varieties. Riuri is said to have a very creamy and full-body taste, like milk chocolate with acidic and fruity notes of orange, and ring (Greengage) fruit. It is however considered an inferior coffee, depending on individual preference. Ruiru 11 coffee is mainly found in the Nyeri and Kirinyaga Counties.
4. Batain
The Batain coffee variant is much like the SL 34, it offers a high yield and is hardy against disease with much larger beans. Though it is quite sensitive to acidic soil, and unfortunately lowest on our list. Batain being released in 2010 is quite a new coffee variety that you will mainly find in the Nakuru County of Kenya.
Kenyan Coffee Tours
Few Kenyan Coffee farms and estates offer daily tours that take you through the processing of their coffee, allow tasting, and many more. Here are the two top-rated farms to tour and where to book your tours. Keep in mind you will stay over in Nairobi the Capital of Kenya which has some outstanding hotels.
| Coffee Estate Name | What to Expect |
| Fairview Coffee Estate in Limuru Kiambu is the most popular and largest coffee estate at 100 Acres. | They have two daily tours where you will go through the processing of their coffee, and be able to taste a few brands. |
| Karunguru Estate in Kiambu. A small coffee estate that is a day walk tour. They have medium to dark roasts. | A full-day tour of the Coffee farms, including a Buffet Lunch, coffee tasting, and a trip to the market. |
Kenyan Coffee Brands
Ultimately, the “Best” Kenyan coffee will depend on individual taste preferences, but these three brands are a great starting point for anyone looking to experience the unique and flavorful qualities of Kenyan coffee.
- Black Ink Kenyan Coffee – Bold and Full of Flavor from small-scale farmers, with a bright acidity and superior quality.
- Lifeboost Coffee Kenyan Beans – Single Origin coffee from organic farms. The coffee has a black current and citrus flavor with bright acidity.
- RAW Coffee Company – They stock coffee from Nyeri Hill, a popular Coffee estate that sources SL 28 and Ruiru 11 varieties. The coffee has a woody, sandalwood, and Passion fruit flavor with a soft vanilla aftertaste.
- Cooper’s Kask Kenyan Coffee – A single-origin coffee from the Kask region in Kenya. The coffee has a bright acidity with blackcurrant and lemon notes, and a very smooth and sweet finish.
- Volcanica Kenyan Coffee Beans – A high-quality arabica range of single-origin coffee from small farms in Kenya. The coffee has a medium body with a smooth finish
- Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC Kenyan Coffee – The freshest and highest quality coffee beans from single-origin, small farmers in Kenya. They offer a few varieties of AA-graded coffee beans.
- Naivo Café Kenyan Coffee – They specialize in Arabica Filtered roasts of the Ruiru 11, SL 28, SL 34, and Batain varieties.
You can get any of these coffees online, directly from the manufacturer’s shop, or from other retailers such as Amazon.
Now that you have selected your favorite roast, you want to use the best brewing methods, to get the full experience of the flavors and taste of idyllic Kenyan coffee, so here are a few short brewing tips, especially for Kenyan Coffee;
Brewing Tips for Kenyan Coffee?
- To brew Kenyan coffee to perfection, there are a few steps that will ensure you enjoy all the unique and complex flavor profiles;
- Start with getting your favorite freshly roasted beans from a trusted brand, such as the ones we have mentioned.
- Use a Pour Over Method, or French press when brewing, which will highlight the more bold and more fruity flavors of the coffee.
- Pay attention to water temperatures to avoid over or under-extraction. Temperatures between 200-205°F are ideal.
- In a Pour Over device allow 3-4 minutes for brewing.
Kenyan Coffee Served in the US
For my Coffee connoisseur friends from the US, I have some great news, all Starbucks serve Kenyan coffee blends, especially in their Iced-Coffee ranges, which is said to bring out the flavors even more.
Did you know that Starbucks ideally owns many coffee farms around the world, including some Kenyan farms?
Other than that you can enjoy a cup of coffee straight from the Nyeri Hills Estate Kenya, in the Tequesta Fashion Mall in Tequesta, FL 33469, USA, from Oceana Coffee Café. Their Kenyan coffee is said to have notes of pomegranate, apricot, plum, cherry, and bergamot tea, and you can even purchase your favorite brew from their site or store.
Journeying through Kenya, you can see why they are rated as having the world’s 3rd finest coffee, and the finest in Africa their coffees have the most unique and complex flavors that I have come across so far. Their harvesting and Processing methods are meticulous and their coffee has the finest quality grades. Taking a tour through Kenyan coffee estates will surely be the experience of a lifetime.