Coffee Origins 01 - the first of many to come. We are going to be looking at Kenyan coffee - one of our personal favourites at York Emporium. The full body, bright acidity and the fruity notes. Brew this through a V60 = perfection.
Kenya is located in East Africa, with the equator running straight through the middle. Coffee was first introduced to Kenya in the 19th Century, when Ethiopian coffee was imported into the country via South Yemen. Kenyan coffee is grown at high altitudes (1500 - 2200 MASL), with acidic soil and the perfect amount of sunlight/rainfall, there are not many better climates to grow coffee, than Kenya.
The heavily acidic soil is where Kenyan coffees get their bright acidic flavour profiles, which can very from sharp lemon to sweet rhubarb.
Coffee cherries are harvested twice a year in Kenya, the main harvest being October - December, with a fly crop which runs from June - August. Kenyan coffees are a washed process - you can learn more about how coffee is processed HERE.
How to get the best out of Kenyan coffee
As expert coffee roasters ourselves, we would always recommend a light-medium roast for the Kenyan coffees. A fast & hot approach, with a shorter development time helps to bring out the bright acidity in the Kenyan coffee.
The roasted beans should be aromatic, with the ground fragrance being complex and sweet . Expect good acidity and body, with a well balanced finish.
There are 8 different grades of Kenyan coffee, these consist of;
- AA
- AB
- C
- E
- MH/ML
- PB
- TT
- T
Grading coffee is mainly dependant on the bean size, colour, shape and density. Kenyan coffee is ranked within the top 5 coffees in the world, grade AA being the highest quality. You can grab a bag of our Kenya Wanjegi AA HERE!
If you need help with crafting the perfect brew, we recommend Aeropress or V60 for the Kenyan. These methods will bring out the flavours and aromas of this beautiful coffee, giving it far more clarity than the likes of Cafetiere.
We will continue to look at different origins of coffee bean in depth. Please keep an eye out for any upcoming blogs.
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