KENYA Specialty Coffee - Nyeri - Lavado

HISTORY In our opinion, Kenya has one of the most interesting and complicated histories with coffee: Despite sharing a border with the "birthplace of coffee", Ethiopia, Kenya was one of the last places planted in coffee, almost 300 years ago after the plant has been grown for the first time for sale. In fact, the varieties that were brought to Kenya had circumnavigated the globe before finding their way back to the African continent, mutating in various climates to create a profile that, once adapted to the rich soil around Mount Kenya, resulted in the unique profiles that this country has to offer. The first plants were brought to the country by Scottish and French missionaries, the latter contributing to what would become known as the French Bourbon Mission, transplanted from the island of Bourbon (now called Reunion) to Tanzania and Kenya in an attempt to fund their efforts. On the ground. The Scots, meanwhile, brought Mocha strains, the different varieties that contribute to the dynamic quality of the country's coffees to this day.

Established as a British colony specifically for its money-making potential, Kenya became a coffee powerhouse as a way for the empire to control both tea (already a Kenyan staple culture) and coffee markets around the world. In the 1920s, as Europe demanded more and more coffee, cash cropping became a major Kenyan export, and in the 1930s the auction system was developed, ostensibly to democratize the market for farmers. After Kenya's independence from Britain in the 1960s, coffee took on greater importance for smallholders, many of whom received coffee farms in the redistribution of private ownership of large colonial and state plantations.

FEATURES + VARIETIES
The first thing that comes to mind when we think of Kenyan coffee is "acidity", but what we're looking for isn't simply a mouthfeel or citric acid from a note. Generally, we look for complex and refined cups that show blackcurrant, grapefruit or kaffir lime, mouth-watering notes of tomato or tamarind, and sparkling tropical fruits like pineapple. The famous SL-SL-28 and SL-34 varieties tend to be juicy and dynamic, while the French Mission is typically a creamier, more citrusy cup.
In addition to differences in variety, there are regional variations as in most large coffee producing countries. Nyeri coffees tend to have more fructose sugar, juicy mouthfeel, and strong sour acids. The profile of Embu is more complex, with generally darker forest fruit, more brownish sugars, and generally a bit more balance. Kirinyaga shows the most floral and delicate cups, generally a more refined quality and complexity.