Kenya AA Coffee

When I am working as a barista, and I brew Kenya AA coffee as our drip coffee of the day, I drink black coffee rather than my usual morning espresso drink, a mocha. 

Why Do Kenya Coffees Taste Different?

I really enjoy the flavor and complexity of the Kenya AA arabica coffee beans. It is amazing to me that coffee, when roasted properly can taste so different depending upon the origin. It's important how the coffee is handled from when it is picked from the coffee tree, processed, dried and the roasted by the coffee roaster.

John Weaver uses different African Coffee beans in his roasting, as single-origin coffees and also in his Arabica African coffee blends. My mom is always making me taste the various coffee beans from unique coffee farms across the globe. Things get hectic when we are at the tasting table, cupping different coffees, and even though the coffee is spat out into a spittoon, you still feel the caffeine for the rest of the day. Let’s just say our shipping department and the entire roasting process goes a lot faster after a coffee cupping at the Roastery.

Coffee Tasting Table, Weaver's Coffee & Tea 

Photo Credit: Renee Brown

Where Do Coffee Roasters Source their Kenya Coffee Beans?

Being artisan coffee roasters we source the highest quality Arabica coffees from different continents through coffee brokers we have known for forty years. We take the time to hand-roast the green coffee beans into beautiful rich and luscious fresh roasted coffee. One of our top selling and truly loved single-origin coffees is our Kenya AA coffee. We have many high-quality coffees, however, the coffees we source from Kenya and Ethiopia constitute two of my favorite coffee flavor profiles across our wide selection of thirty-two coffees.

Where Do the Best Coffees Come From in the World?

John Weaver, our coffee roaster, once told me that if you trace your finger around the equator, the regions in which your finger touches land tend to have the perfect climate and conditions for growing the best coffees.

What Countries Export the Most Green Coffee Beans?

While countries like Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia are examples of countries that export the highest volume of green coffee, surprisingly Germany and Switzerland come in third and fourth in exporting green coffee each year. However, those green coffee beans are re-exported from coffee-growing countries around the equator, meaning Germany and Switzerland rank high in exports without growing a single plant. These two countries source their green coffee from other countries and then redistribute the raw green coffees throughout Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world.  

Where in Africa Do you Find the Best Coffees?

East Africa has the best arabica coffees. When you research the business of coffee, the one thing you always come back to is that the African continent and particularly East Africa is the birthplace of coffee. 

Coffee from Kirinyaga County Kenya 

Kenyan coffee from Kirinyaga County Kenya enjoys a celebrated reputation for its bold and distinctive flavor. This coffee is selected because of it is the most intense and sophisticated. We have a special fondness for brilliant Kenya coffees with their wine-like acidity and ripe fruit flavors. This selection is from the Karani washing station, part of the larger Kabare Farmers Cooperative Society. The Karani AA has notes of lemon, sugar cane, mandarin orange, with a soft sweet finish.

The Geography of Kenya and Coffee

Kenya’s geographic location is intersected by the equator creating near-perfect conditions for growing coffee. The warm sun combined with the fertile soil allows the coffee cherry to ripen under the region’s excellent coffee growing conditions. The coffee that we source from Kenya is as wild and bright as its East African Homeland. Exclusively Kenya, this medium-bodied coffee is bold with subtle nuances that light up the palate from front to back. Savor its brilliant acidity with a natural progression of flavors from grapefruit, orange, to blackberry, to a sublime wine grape, currant flavor.

Map courtesy of La Minita Coffee  

How is Coffee Processing Done in Kenya? 

Watch the interesting video on coffee processing in Kenya. Learning how the coffee cherry goes from the coffee tree to your morning cup of coffee is interesting, especially a Kenya AA coffee cherry. The red coffee cherries are picked, then sorted based upon color and ripeness and separated from sticks, leaves, or any other material potentially found in the picking baskets. Once the coffee cherries are sorted by the coffee farmer they are then split by a machine to unwrap the green raw coffee bean from its casing. Once the coffee cherry is popped it is then separated from the green coffee bean and washed thoroughly to remove any potential excess casing on the bean. The coffee beans are then fermented where the beans are put into water to remove any excess casing and remove the parchment-like material casing that surrounds the coffee bean. Once the coffee beans are fermented, they are then transported into an underwater soak in which they sit for nearly 16-24 hours, this is termed as the two-stage fermentation process procedure which improves coffee quality. Following this stage, there is a final cleaning in which the coffee beans are washed to remove any final bits of casing still on the bean or dirt accrued throughout the process. Now the coffee farmer brings the green coffee bean to the exporter or, in the case that they do not have the machines to separate the bean from the cherry, they bring the coffee cherries to the coffee exporter who then does the aforementioned process in their place. Once the beans finish the water soak the coffee beans are then put out onto tables or tarps to dry in the warm African sun and turned until dry.

The Complex Trade Economy of the Coffee Business

The coffee business is based on a complex trade economy in which the product you drink has been inspected every step of the way. The average coffee consumer does not understand the global commodity chain and the way coffee switches hands on its way to becoming your morning cup of coffee. By learning about how the coffee is grown, processed, and sold we are able to gain a better insight into what we are consuming, the quality of the coffee, the way it is processed and the freshness when you open the bag of coffee. 

When Kenya Coffee is Brewed

When Kenya AA coffee is brewed the room fills with an incredible aroma, the fruity warmth of this unique flavor profile will transport you to the tropical climate of Kenya. Coffee beans begin their journey in Kenya as a plant, then they are harvested, properly processed and shipped all the way to California where they are hand-roasted by our master roaster John Weaver. There is a lot of people involved in the entire process. We are lucky enough to have the opportunity to purchase these green coffee beans and roast them into perfection for you.  We look forward to hearing your reviews on Kenya AA, the best single-origin coffee you will taste. The next time you visit one of our Weaver’s Coffee & Tea cafes or find yourself online looking at coffee blogs, tea blogs or coffee and tea recipes on our website, consider adding Kenya AA to your shopping cart. 

The History of Kenya Coffee

The History of Coffee in East Africa