What Makes a Kenyan Coffee Farm Like Thika Grow Rare Naturals?
Kenya's Thika region normally ships washed coffee, so a natural batch from Chania Estate stands out. The estate grows French Mission Bourbon, a variety brought by French missionaries, at about 1,525 meters, and processes this lot as a natural rather than the usual washed method. The cup shows caramel, vanilla, mixed fruit and a berry finish, with a relatively high defect rate but solid flavor.
Most Kenyan coffee trees are planted between 1,400 and 2,000 meters, with two harvests a year and growing areas spread across Ruiri, Thika, Kirinyaga, Mt. Kenya West, Nyeri, Kiambu and Muranga. Thika sits at the foot of the Aberdare Range on red volcanic soil high in organic matter, and the Harries family has run Chania Estate there since 1904.
Kenyan coffee has always been famous for its washed processing, while natural batches are extremely rare. This article takes you into Chania Estate in the Thika region to explore a native Bourbon variety introduced by French missionaries, revealing its unique flavors after natural processing. From the terroir of the origin and the estate's century-long history, to the traceability of the green bean variety, processing method and roasting curve, and then to cupping performance and brewing parameters, we provide a comprehensive analysis of this rare batch recommended by Front Street Coffee. If you are curious about the wild regional flavors of African coffee, or want to understand why natural Kenyan coffee is so rare, this article will provide you with detailed reference.
[Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Kenya Chania Estate French Mission Bourbon Natural]
Country: Kenya
Region: Thika
Processing Station: Chania Estates
Altitude: 1,525 meters
Variety: French Mission Bourbon
Processing Method: Natural
01 | Origin Introduction
Coffee produced in different counties of Kenya has distinct styles; the country is divided into 47 "counties" in total.
Each county's coffee has its own recognizable characteristics. Most Kenyan coffee trees are grown at altitudes between 1,400 and 2,000 meters, with two harvests per year. The main growing regions include Ruiri, Thika, Kirinyaga, Mt. Kenya West, Nyeri, Kiambu and Muranga, concentrated in the foothills of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Range. For example, coffee from the Embu region is known for its balance, with citrus fruits, chocolate, apple and acidity; the Nyeri region presents flavors of white grape, juiciness, grapefruit and cherry tomato, full of fruitiness and caramel-like sweetness.
The coffee characteristics of different counties are distinct. Kenyan coffee trees are mostly planted at altitudes of 1,400 to 2,000 meters, with two harvests per year, and the growing regions include Ruiri, Thika, Kirinyaga, Mt. Kenya West, Nyeri, Kiambu and Muranga. The foothills of Mt. Kenya and Aberdare dominate. For example, coffee from the Thika highlands of Kenya is characterized by balance, citrus fruits, chocolate, apple and plum-like acidity. Coffee from the Nyeri region is characterized by white grape, juiciness, grapefruit and cherry tomato flavors, full of fruitiness and sweet like caramel.
Thika Thika Kiambu
The Kiambu coffee-growing area is located in the central highlands east of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, and Thika is one of its sub-regions. Located at the foot of the Aberdare ridge, the soil is red volcanic soil rich in organic matter. Thanks to the mild climate and moderate rainfall, coffee farmers in the Kiambu area can harvest twice a year——from May to July and from September to December.
KIAMBU (Kiambu)
KIAMBU: This producing region in central Kenya has the highest-altitude coffee-growing area in the region.
The Kiambu area is home to some large coffee estates, and smallholders and cooperatives are closely connected, with most having their own processing plants, which offers growers a better option than selling through unified purchasing. Farmers can complete green bean processing at their own factories and obtain reasonable prices at auction.
However, some coffee trees at high altitudes suffer from dieback and stop growing. This producing region is named after the town of Nakuru. Coffee here is grown both in estate and smallholder forms, though production is relatively small.
Altitude: 1,850~2,200 meters
Harvest period: October~December (main crop), June~August (fly crop)
Varieties: SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru11, Batian
02 | Estate Introduction
Chania and Oreti Estates are the only medium-to-large private coffee plantations in Kenya, and have been managed by the Harries family for coffee production since 1904. Chania Estate and Oreti Estate border the Chania River, with dams and reservoirs and nearly 200 acres of land, and forest planted along the riverbank to protect birds and wildlife.
Estate owner Boyce Marquis Allen Harries took over the family business of Estates and A.I.R. (Harries & Son Ltd.) in 2013.
Today 40 employees work for Boyce, many of whom have served the Harries family for three generations. The employees have their own elected committee, which meets monthly to discuss community safety, social and health issues. In addition to caring for their own workers, the Harries family also donated land to the Thika City Council and co-founded Wabeni Technical Institute, which teaches practical skills such as garment making, mechanics and carpentry to help local residents make a living.
The Harries Story: This estate has a history of more than 100 years
Chania and Oreti Estates are the only medium-to-large private coffee plantations in Kenya.
In 1904, Allen Charles Harries arrived in South Africa and then made his way to Kenya. After a comprehensive survey of the country, Allen Charles established Karamaini Estate within what later became Thika. At the time, it took him a full two days to travel the 30 miles from Nairobi by donkey cart to get there.
His third son, Aldred Ivan Rule Harries, remained in South Africa and helped support his father financially, eventually joining his coffee business in 1912.
In 1926, Ivan moved to Chania village. This was a mixed farm by the Chania River, with only a small area of coffee planted.
Here, Ivan began to explore which crops could be grown successfully, trying sisal and pineapple, while slowly expanding the total coffee area. He also bought up neighboring small farms, gradually forming the scale of today's estate. By the early 1950s, he founded A.I.R. Harries & Sons Ltd., naming it after his initials. In 1946, Ivan's son Peter Allen Harries completed his studies in New Zealand.
Together with his wife Ina (a New Zealander), Peter bought a piece of land on the Aberdare ridge, more than 5 miles from Chania, extending from top to bottom. They named it Oreti and built a mixed farm of pineapple, coffee and macadamia.
In the late 1950s, Peter inherited both farms after his father's death. The farm operation covered pineapple, livestock and macadamia, but coffee gradually became the focus of the agricultural business. In 1983 Peter passed away suddenly, and his eldest son and later only surviving son, David Hugh Allen Harries (b. 1947), stepped in at the critical moment to continue the family tradition.
David's nephew Boyce Marquis Allen Harries (born 1976) joined in 2004 and lived in Peter's old home at Oreti. After David retired, Boyce took over the operation of the two estates in 2013, as well as the family business A.I.R. Harries & Sons Ltd.
03 | Green Bean Analysis
French missionaries brought the Bourbon variety into Kenya for planting around 1892 to 1893. This native Bourbon variety is called French Mission Varietal, and during cultivation it avoided scientific improvement, preserving the most original flavor of Bourbon.
The unique red volcanic soil of Chania Estate, combined with suitable coffee-growing temperatures and rainfall, plus an excellent natural environment, creates the unique flavor of Front Street's Kenya Thika Chania Estate French Mission Bourbon.
Bourbon Variety
Let's briefly explain what Bourbon coffee is. Bourbon coffee was first planted on Réunion Island, which was also called le Bourbon before 1789. Bourbon is a subspecies produced by a mutation of Typica, and together with Typica it is among the oldest surviving coffee varieties. The green fruit turns bright red when ripe.
The Spread of the Bourbon Variety
In Africa, French missionaries known as Spiritans (from the Congregation of the Holy Spirit) played an important role in spreading the Bourbon variety. In 1841, the first mission was established on Réunion, and in 1859 a branch was established in Zanzibar; from Zanzibar, in 1862 one branch each was established in Bagamoyo (coastal Tanzania, then called Tanganyika) and St. Augustine (Kikuyu, Kenya), and in 1893 another branch was established in Bura (Taita Hills, Kenya). The establishment of each branch was accompanied by the planting of coffee seeds brought from Réunion.
In 1899, seedlings cultivated at Bura were taken to another French mission at St. Cruz (near Nairobi), and in 1900 they were introduced to the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, where seeds were distributed to local residents willing to grow coffee. This is the origin of what is called "Missionary Bourbon." Then Kent was also introduced in 1920. Therefore, to this day, coffee in Tanzania is also mainly Bourbon and Kent.
04 | Processing Method Introduction
Natural Kenyan coffee is relatively uncommon on the market, possibly because the quality of Kenyan washed coffee is extremely high, and because the loss rate and labor costs of natural processing are too high. Natural Kenyan coffee is generally only found in special custom programs by some green bean merchants. This Front Street Kenya Chania Estate French Mission Bourbon coffee is processed by the natural method. During the refined natural process, it adds body and sweetness to the already rich and varied acidity of Bourbon coffee. This natural batch is limited in quantity and is a coffee that relies entirely on natural climate conditions.
05 | Roasting Analysis
The bean density is medium. Roasting uses medium heat to climb. During roasting, the beans heat up quickly, so we lower the heat at 150°C, 160°C and 170°C to extend the Maillard reaction time while avoiding too rapid heating of the beans. First crack begins at around 8 minutes 15 seconds, at 186°C. At the same time, lower the heat and open the airflow to develop flavor, and drop the beans at 194°C at 2 minutes.
Roaster: Yangjia 600g semi-direct fire (roasting amount 300g)
Preheat the drum to 170°C and charge. Set airflow to 3, turn on the heat after 30S, adjust heat to 140, keep airflow unchanged, turning point 1`28``. Maintain heat, lower heat to 110 at 140°C, open airflow to 4. At 4`20`` it turns yellow, the grassy smell disappears, and it enters the dehydration stage. Lower heat to 90, keep airflow at 4. At 150°C, 160°C and 170°C, lower heat again to 90, 70 and 50.
At 7`50`` dehydration is complete, wrinkles and dark streaks appear on the bean surface, and the toast aroma turns to coffee aroma, which is the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 8`13`` first crack begins, open airflow fully to 5, and adjust heat to 30. After first crack, develop for 2 minutes, and drop at 194°C.
Cupping Results
This Front Street Kenya Chania Estate Natural French Mission Bourbon coffee has good flavor, but a relatively high defect rate, so please sort carefully before and after roasting. The dry aroma has natural fermentation, dried fruit and vanilla notes. On sipping, you can taste caramel, vanilla and mixed fruits, with a solid juicy body. The finish has berries, rich jackfruit and coffee floral notes. The overall performance has a wild African regional flavor, suitable for sipping slowly in small mouthfuls. The complex aroma is hard to let go of~
06 | Brewing Data
Recommended brewing method: Pour-over
Grind size: 3.5 (Japan Fuji R440)
Water temperature: 90~91°C
V60 dripper, 15g coffee, grind 3.5,
Water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15
Blooming with 30g water, bloom time 30s
Pour water. It is recommended to use a small stream in the early stage for immersion extraction. When the water level is dropping, the water flow will follow the spiral ribs and concentrate the flow, and this action is like wringing a towel, squeezing the coffee particles in the water all at once. Moreover, in order to maximize the squeezing function, in controlling the water supply, the water level fully immerses the height of the coffee bed.
The second pour also starts from the center, injecting a small stream into the bottom of the coffee bed. In order to concentrate the penetrating force of the stream, the circular movement range should be small, about the size of a coin, and then spiral outward. From the start of the second pour, pay attention to the water volume and try not to exceed the height of the coffee bed. That is, when the stream circles close to the filter paper, you can stop pouring.
Stages: pour to 120ml and stop, then slowly pour to 225ml, i.e. 30-120-75, with a total extraction time of about 2 minutes.
Other drip extraction suggestions:
French press, recommended grind 3.5-4 / water temperature 90°C
AeroPress, recommended grind 2.5, water temperature 90°C
Pour-over: grind 3.5, water temperature 91°C
1. Weigh 20g of beans, grind to the size of coarse granulated sugar, and use a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15.
2. Add water to the French press to preheat it, then pour it out; pour the coffee grounds into the French press.
3. Pour in 89°C hot water and start timing. After pouring the water, stir gently to ensure all coffee grounds are saturated.
4. After four minutes, slowly press down the plunger and pour out.
Related recommendation: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) World Coffee Estate Producing Region Introduction: Detailed Introduction to Kenya, a Coffee-Producing Country
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
