What makes Kenya coffee beans taste suited to cold brew?

Not every bean works for cold drip or cold brew. Beans with clear acidity, fruity sweetness, or pronounced fermented notes hold up well when chilled. Based on store sales, four origins are recommended for iced coffee: Ethiopia, Kenya, Costa Rica, and Colombia, each covering a different taste profile for summer brewing at home.

Kenya stands out because varieties such as SL28 and SL34, combined with the K72 washed processing method, give a bright yet solid acidity and a rounded body. That structure is why kenya coffee beans taste so distinct in cold drip and cold brew, where the low temperature preserves acidity instead of flattening it. Brewing parameters and pairing suggestions follow for each bean.

In hot weather, cold drip and cold brew have become the top choices for coffee lovers to cool down and refresh themselves. But not all coffee beans are suitable for cold drip or cold brew—choosing the right beans is what makes iced coffee truly shine. Based on store sales experience, Front Street Coffee has selected four distinctively styled coffee beans from Ethiopia, Kenya, Costa Rica, and Colombia, covering floral fruit acidity, solid acidity, fruity sweetness, and rich fermented tones, suitable for making cold drip and cold brew with different taste profiles. In addition to introducing each bean's origin, variety, and processing method, this article also shares Front Street's specific brewing parameters and pairing suggestions to help you recreate a refreshing, heat-relieving iced coffee at home.

In the scorching summer, high-temperature alerts are frequently issued in many places. The moment you step out of an air-conditioned room, it feels like walking into a steam bath. For coffee lovers, cold drip and cold brew are undoubtedly the magic weapons for surviving the heat. Today, Front Street is here to round up a few coffee beans that are especially suitable for making cold drip and cold brew.

- Front Street Ethiopia Huakui Coffee Beans

If you prefer a refreshing style, this Ethiopian bean is worth a try. Front Street Huakui won first place in the 2017 TOH sun-dried group, and its origin is in the Hambela sub-region of Guji. Front Street often uses it for cold drip: take 60 grams of coffee grounds, drip out about 600 milliliters of coffee liquid over roughly 6 hours, then refrigerate and ferment for 12 hours before drinking. When serving, add 50 grams of ice cubes to the cup and pour in 200 milliliters of coffee liquid.

The cold drip made with Front Street Ethiopia Huakui has a gentle honey-floral sweetness and fermented note in the aroma. On the palate, there is a clear citrus and pomelo acidity, accompanied by honey sweetness and a green tea-like finish, making it overall refreshing and pleasant.

- Front Street Kenya Cherry Tomato Coffee

Front Street Kenya coffee beans are likewise very suitable for making iced coffees such as cold drip and cold brew. The reason Kenya coffee's acidity is so outstanding lies in excellent varieties such as SL28 and SL34, as well as the unique K72 washed processing method, giving it bright yet solid acidity and a rounded mouthfeel. Using it for cold drip creates a completely different style compared with Ethiopian beans.

Front Street Kenya Asalia comes from the Honey Processing Factory in the Thika region. After this bean is made into cold drip, the taste resembles sour plum drink, with solid acidity of plum and cherry tomato, carrying caramel sweetness and a smooth, full body. Add two ice cubes and the heat-relieving effect is excellent, very suitable for drinking in midsummer.

- Front Street Costa Rica Strawberry Candy Geisha Blend

The flavor of Front Street Costa Rica Strawberry Candy is just like its name, with a strawberry gummy-like sweetness. This bean comes from Costa Rica's Mirazu Estate, and its obvious fruity sweetness is inseparable from the variety and processing method. It is a blend of multiple varieties, of which Geisha accounts for 50%, so you can taste a very sweet fruit profile, while the other 50% consists of ET47, SL28, and MAICO.

In terms of processing, Front Street Mirazu Strawberry Candy uses raisin honey processing, bringing a preserved-fruit sweetness like raisins. The cold drip made with it has a fruity wine-like flavor and is very popular with customers at Front Street stores.

- Front Street Colombia Sidra Coffee

This coffee from the Finca La Divisa in the Huila region uses double anaerobic sun-dried processing, with very rich grape, passion fruit, and citrus flavors. After being made into cold drip or cold brew, you can taste notes of blackcurrant, grape, apricot, and passion fruit, as if drinking a glass of chilled grape juice.

In addition, Front Street Sidra also performs well when mixed with other beans to make cold drip. For example, pairing Front Street Sidra with Front Street sun-dried Yirgacheffe at a 1:1 ratio can both retain the rich fermented fruit aroma and increase sweetness.

The above four cold drip beans are among the higher-selling choices at Front Street stores, and the four flavors are each different, so everyone can choose the cold drip coffee beans that suit their own taste preferences.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.