Kenya AA Maganjo Auction Lot

A fine example of the best the Nairobi Coffee Auction has to offer, this AA grade Kenyan coffee has a big, full body, a tannic finish and crisp red wine acidity. Look for notes of orange, lime and apricot.

Arrival Date: December 2nd, 2016

Acidity & Brightness: Moderate to Bright Acidity, much like red wine

Balance & Finish: Great balance, dry, tannic finish 

Body & Texture: Big Body, clean texture

Flavors: Orange, Lime and Apricot

Grade: AA, Large (17-18 screen) Very Hard and Dense

Processing: Fully Washed, shade grown, hand picked, sun dried on raised tables

Varietals: SL28 and SL 34

Roasting:  Start with a City + (Light-medium) and feel free to try Full City (Medium). Kenyan coffees are famous for their acidity and dark roasting will mute that. However, if you prefer, this coffee may be carried into a Full City Plus and still retain a lot of body and most of it's brightness. This coffee roasts very evenly.

Recommendation: Kenyan coffee is in a class all its own. This coffee is very characteristic of that class and if you haven't had a good Kenya AA before, you're doing yourself a disservice! 

Reminder: This Coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing

Our Review: Anyone who knows coffee knows Kenya produces some of the finest coffees in the world. For the most part, Kenyan coffee is sold in auctions on the Nairobi Coffee Exchange with the highest quality beans fetching the best prices. The beans are also graded on a system of size and consistency, the largest beans receiving the score AA, while smaller beans are scored AB. While not necessarily a signifier of quality, the AA score is highly sought after. This AA is from an estate called Maganjo, which is located on the southern slope of Mount Kenya and like most Kenyan coffee, contains varietals SL28 and SL34, which have become the gold standard in the Nairobi Coffee Exchange. These bourbon hybrids were introduced in the 1950s by Scott Laboratories and largely replaced the heirloom varietals which had been brought from neighboring Ethiopia. 

Choosing between the amazing coffees that make it to auction can be overwhelming; there are just so many great ones to choose from! We chose this one because it has all the attributes we look for in an exceptional Kenyan coffee. It's got a big, full body and a dry, winey finish. While most Kenyan AA coffees have these features, some tend toward more of a crisp white wine finish, while others lean towards a more tannic and dry red wine. Since it's winter, it only felt appropriate to lean towards a profile more associated with red. These characteristics are accompanied by balanced yet distinctive hints of orange, lime and apricot, making for a superb cup.