Kenya

Kenya has been the model for quality in East Africa, though not always serving the farmers who grow the coffee. This origin is a powerhouse and the quality of the top coffee lots has been rewarded with high prices in the weekly Kenya auction in Nairobi. Kenya has had a system where coffee quality and prices have been linked. That's important to recognize. The problem in Kenya is that, for the farmer, producing that top-quality coffee is expensive. Kenya coffee requires constant care, year-round focus, expensive inputs, and lots of labor. So whether the farm gate price truly rewards the farmer has been a matter of debate. However, the laws have adapted to allow buyers to directly purchase coffees, bypassing the auction if they can pay a better price, and this has opened up a new window on quality in Kenya. That's largely the way we source our Kenya coffee!

Broadly speaking, the best Kenyan coffees are complex and bright, and it lights up the palate from front to back. It is not for people who do not like acidity in coffee. (Acidity being the prized, flavorful bright notes in the cup — think citrus, black currant, and berry!) A great Kenya balances brightness with sweet flavors, syrups and cane sugar, spice notes, and fruited aspects that sometimes tend toward winey.

You can read more about the way we source Kenyan green coffee, and link to our videos and travelogues, on our Kenya Coffee Library page.