Why did Kenya AA Fram Farm become a coffee star in 2017?

Fram Farm, a family-run estate in Kenya's Kiambu region, took first place at the 2017 East Africa Taste of Harvest competition with 85.3 points. The AA-grade auction lot was bought by Qingdao roaster Fisher Coffee, making it the third African TOH champion after Ethiopia's Geisha and Uganda.

Fram grows mainly SL28 and SL34 varieties and runs its own washing station, which lets freshly picked cherries be processed on site under tighter quality control. Farm owner James Kariruki inherited three hectares and later expanded the holding to nine hectares.

The results of the 2017 East Africa Taste of Harvest (TOH) competition in Kenya have been announced. Fram Farm from the Kiambu region topped the list with 85.3 points. This AA-grade auction lot was secured by Qingdao Fisher Coffee, becoming another African TOH champion bean after Ethiopia's Geisha and Uganda. Fram is a family-run private farm with its own washing station, primarily growing SL28 and SL34 varieties. This article will explore the farm's background, the development of Kenyan coffee, the grading system, and the K72 washing process, along with Front Street Coffee's brewing suggestions and flavor description of the Kenyan Cherry Tomato beans, taking you through the full story behind this champion bean.

Kenya AA Fram Farm "Taste of Harvest Champion" Auction Lot

Kenya TOH Champion AA Fram Farm

This is the third coffee to win the TOH African competition, following Ethiopia's "Geisha" and Uganda. It comes from a small farm in Kenya's Kiambu region called Fram. The varieties are SL28 and SL34. The auction lot was acquired by Qingdao roaster Fisher, marking their second TOH champion—clearly showing their ambition. We previously purchased coffee from Kiambu through Auden, but that lot came from a cooperative; Fram has its own washing station, allowing on-site processing of freshly picked cherries from the farm with tighter quality control, which is why it earned the top score of 85.3 points. A champion bean worth tasting!

Africa's most prestigious green bean competition is called the "East Africa Taste of Harvest" (TOH), held annually in various countries, similar in nature to the Cup of Excellence in Central and South America. TOH has become a competitive stage for discovering top coffees from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Congo, and other countries. In the 2017 Kenya competition, Fram Farm from the Kiambu region won the championship, and Fisher Coffee from Qingdao, China successfully purchased it at auction.

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Fram is a private farm owned by James Kariruki, part of a larger family farm that has been passed down for generations. After James's father passed away, he inherited 3 hectares of land. Since then, James continued to invest in this original farmland and gradually purchased more land, expanding the area to 9 hectares. In the 1980s, the farm only grew the SL28 variety; in 1993, he built a washing station, which not only processed cherries from his own farm but also allowed his brothers to send their cherries for processing. The Kariruki family's reputation for producing high-quality coffee was gradually established. Fram produces three grades: AA, AB, and PB. The winning lot belongs to the AA grade, and another peaberry lot also achieved an impressive ranking.

Coffee was introduced to Kenya in the late 1800s, and large plantations developed rapidly over the following 15 years. But the real turning point that elevated Kenya to a top global coffee-producing country occurred in the 1930s, with the key being the introduction of the SL series of new varieties. At the time, the Kenyan government commissioned Scott Laboratories (SL) to cultivate higher-yielding, more drought-resistant varieties, resulting in the creation of SL-28 and SL34—hybrids of Bourbon and Ethiopian native varieties. However, these new varieties did not bring high yields as expected; instead, they produced coffee with exceptionally outstanding flavor, featuring intense citrus sweetness and a balanced yet complex profile.

Kenya AA Kiambu Fram Farm Washed

Kenya AA Kiambu Fram farm washed

Producing Country: Kenya

Region: Kiambu

Farm: Fram Farm

Farm Owner: James Kariruki

Altitude: 1860 meters

Varieties: SL28, SL34

Processing Method: Washed

Award Record: 2017 Kenya Green Bean Taste of Harvest Champion

Grade: AA

Next, Front Street Coffee continues to share knowledge about Kenyan coffee.

Kenya is located in East Africa, adjacent to Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. Kenya did not introduce coffee until near the 20th century, during which coffee had nearly traveled around the entire globe before returning to Africa. However, Front Street Coffee believes that although Kenyan coffee started late, it developed rapidly. Under British colonial rule, both the establishment of cultivation mechanisms and the determination of the grading system led Kenyan coffee beans to the specialty coffee market. Kenyan specialty coffee is now world-renowned, and Front Street Coffee summarizes the following reasons:

1. Establishment of cultivation mechanisms. In 1883, the British brought coffee to Kenya from Réunion Island. In 1922, Kenya established the Scott Agricultural Laboratories (Scott Labs, from which SL28 and SL34 got their names) for coffee cultivation research. Over the more than 10 years following its establishment, the laboratory selected SL28 and SL34 from 42 coffee varieties as suitable for cultivation in the region, providing a good start for the development of the coffee industry.

2. Government emphasis. In 1931, the Kenya Planters Cooperative Union and the Kenya National Coffee Board were established to guide the development of the coffee industry from both civilian and national levels. In 1937, the Nairobi Coffee Exchange was established, initiating Kenya's coffee auction system—good coffee commands a good price, setting the tone for coffee pricing. In particular, this year the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture launched a 1.5 billion shilling coffee revitalization plan. 3. Determination of the grading system. Kenya grades coffee by bean size and cup test results. According to bean size, shape, and hardness, from highest to lowest: AA or AA+, AB, PB, C, E, TT, T. For AA and AB grade green beans, an additional special grading based on cup test results was added (not officially recognized by the Kenyan government, set by exporters), from highest to lowest: TOP, PLUS (+), FAQ.

AA Plus (AA+): AA grade with exceptionally outstanding cup quality (flavor, mouthfeel). AA bean size (Screen Size): 17-18 mesh. AB bean size (Screen Size): 15-16 mesh, accounting for the majority of production. C bean size (Screen Size): smaller than AB. TT: From AA and AB grade beans: lighter-weight beans blown out by airflow separator. T: From C grade beans: lighter-weight beans blown out by airflow separator. E Elephant Bean: Large mutant beans formed by two beans fused together, also known as elephant ear. PB Peaberry: Classified by appearance, unrelated to flavor or weight. For AA and AB grade green beans, an additional special grading based on cup test results was added (not officially recognized by the Kenyan government, set by exporters), from highest to lowest: TOP, PLUS (+), FAQ. The Kenyan Asalia on Front Street Coffee's bean list has reached the TOP flavor grade, but as mentioned earlier, this is not an officially recognized grading system. Not every Kenyan coffee bean Front Street Coffee purchases from various regions carries a flavor grade, so there's no need to obsess over this. Generally, reaching AA or AB grade already implies excellent flavor quality by default.

4. K72 processing method. The unique acidity of Kenyan specialty coffee is closely related to its outstanding processing method. In a typical washed process, ripe coffee cherries are selected, depulped, and soaked in fermentation tanks to remove mucilage—this process rarely exceeds 36 hours. But Kenya's fermentation time lasts up to 72 hours. After that, the beans are dried until moisture content reaches 12%. Front Street believes that Kenya's unique washed processing method better brings out the bright acidity and full-bodied juicy mouthfeel of Kenyan coffee beans. We recommend trying Front Street Cherry Tomato coffee beans.

Front Street Kenya Cherry Tomato Coffee Beans Region: Thika, Kenya Processing Station: Asali Honey Processing Station Altitude: 1550-1750 meters Grade: AA TOP Varieties: SL28, SL34 Processing Method: Kenya 72-hour Washed

Front Street Coffee Brewing Suggestions Dripper: Hario V60 Water Temperature: 90°C Dose: 15 grams Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15 Grind Size: EK43s setting 10 (80% passing through China standard No. 20 sieve)

Front Street Coffee Brewing Method: Bloom with 30 grams of water for 30 seconds, then pour in a slow circular motion until reaching 125 grams for a pause. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring until 225 grams and stop. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from the beginning of blooming.) Total extraction time: 2'00".

[Front Street Kenya Cherry Tomato] Flavor Description: Wet aroma has ripe tomato and floral notes; on the palate, cherry tomato and smoked plum flavors with bright acidity and a clean, rich mouthfeel; prominent sweetness in the mid-palate with a juicy quality; the finish carries berry and brown sugar sweetness along with green tea aroma.

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