Kenya AA Kianjiru Auction Lot

A big bodied AA Auction Lot Kenya! It's very balanced with a dry, winey finish and notes of lime, nectarine and white grapefruit.

Arrival Date: September 1st, 2016

Acidity & Brightness: Moderate to Bright Acidity

Balance & Finish: Dry WhiteaWine Finish 

Body & Texture: Big Body

Flavors: Lime, Nectarine and White Grapefruit 

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

Certifications: N/A

Processing: Wet (European prep) Shade grown, hand picked, sun dried on raised tables

Varietals: SL28 and SL 34

Roasting:  Start with a 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 or Vienna and still retain a lot of body and most of it's brightness. This coffee roasts very evenly.

Recommendation: If you like Kenyan coffee, you'll love this big, bold, bright cup. Heck, if you like coffee, you're gonna love this Kenyan!

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 grading 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 Kianjiru, which is located on the southern slope of Mount Kenya and like most Kenyan coffee, contains varietals SL28 and SL34. These bourbon hybrids were introduced in the 1950s by Scott Laboratories and largely replaced the varietals which had been brought from neighboring Ethiopia.

Choosing between the amazing coffees that make it to auction can be difficult, 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 with a few unique twists. We were not disappointed! It's got a big, full body and a dry, winey finish. Most of the time we get more of a "red wine" finish, but this one is a bit more clean and crisp like a white wine, making it perfect for the summer time. The flavors are so well balanced that we actually had a bit of a time picking them out but we finally agreed on notes of lime, nectarine and white grapefruit. If you've been waiting for an exceptional and distinctive Kenyan coffee, we're proud to say your wait is over!