How Does Kenya's Coffee Grading System Shape Thika Coffee?

Kenyan coffee is known for its clean, refreshing cup, heavy mouthfeel and bright fruity acidity. Thika sits in the Kiambu region, and the country's growing areas cluster in volcanic zones at 1,600 to 2,100 meters, where high altitude slows cherry maturation and lets aromatic compounds build up.

Kenya's official grading system sorts beans by size and quality, and the washed fermentation process shapes the cup further. Two rainy seasons bring harvests from October to December and June to August. Coffee growing here began in the late 19th century, after missionaries brought the Bourbon variety from Brazil in 1893.

Kenyan coffee is renowned for its clean and refreshing taste, heavy mouthfeel, and bright fruity acidity, making it a classic origin sought after by specialty coffee enthusiasts. This article starts from the Kiambu region where Thika is located, and systematically reviews Kenya's coffee growing conditions, historical context, distribution of the ten major producing regions, official grading system, and unique washed fermentation process. It also shares the brewing parameters for Front Street Coffee's Kenya Asaliya, taking you through a comprehensive understanding of this East African coffee powerhouse from the colonial era to the specialty era.

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Many friends who are new to specialty coffee, upon discovering that coffee can actually be acidic, can't help but ask: "Which coffee has the highest acidity?" When faced with such questions, Front Street's baristas almost unanimously think of Kenya. The taste characteristics of Kenyan coffee lie in its clean, refreshing profile, full and heavy mouthfeel, and bright, prominent fruity acidity. Almost anyone who has tried Kenyan coffee will be deeply captivated by it.

Coffee Growing Conditions

Kenya is located in East Africa, with the equator passing through its center and the East African Rift Valley running north to south. The country's terrain is predominantly highland, with an average elevation of about 1,500 meters. Mount Kirinyaga (also known as Mount Kenya), the second-highest peak in Africa, stands at 5,199 meters and its summit is covered in snow year-round.

Kenya is a tropical producing region with two rainy seasons per year, corresponding to harvest seasons from October to December and June to August. Kenya's coffee growing areas are mainly concentrated in volcanic zones at elevations of 1,600 to 2,100 meters. Due to the high growing altitude, the maturation period of coffee cherries is extended, allowing the beans to fully accumulate aromatic compounds, resulting in prominent fruity acidity and harder bean density.

Coffee Growing History

Kenya's neighbor Ethiopia is known as the "birthplace of coffee," but Kenya's coffee growing history did not begin until the late 19th century. In 1893, missionaries introduced the Bourbon variety to Kenya from Brazil. In 1895, Britain colonized Kenya, designating it as the "East Africa Protectorate" and taking control of all crops in the country, including coffee.

Between 1900 and 1933, the colonial government established the Coffee Board (CB), responsible for licensing, inspection, and promotion of coffee. In 1934, auctions began to become one of the sales methods for Kenyan coffee, and the first coffee auction was held in September 1935. In 1946, the Coffee Marketing Board (CMB) was established, becoming fully operational on July 1, 1947, but the institution was abolished in 1971.

Introduction to Kenyan Coffee Producing Regions

Kenya has 10 main coffee producing regions: Nyeri, Murang'a, Kirinyaga, Embu, Meru, Kiambu, Machakos, Nakuru, and Kisii.

[Nyeri]

The Nyeri producing region is located in central Kenya and is home to Mount Kenya, an extinct volcano. The fertile volcanic red soil provides unique conditions for cultivating Kenya's top-tier coffee. In this region, cooperative societies formed by smallholder farmers are more common than large estates. Growing altitude ranges from 1,200 to 2,300 meters.

[Murang'a]

The Murang'a producing region belongs to the Central Province and has approximately 100,000 coffee farmers. This is also where the first missionaries chose to settle. The region also has fertile volcanic soil, and smallholder coffee farmers outnumber estates. Growing altitude ranges from 1,350 to 1,940 meters.

[Kirinyaga]

The Kirinyaga producing region is located east of the Nyeri producing region and also features fertile volcanic soil. The region is dominated by coffee produced by smallholder farmers, and processing plants also produce many extremely high-quality coffees. Growing altitude ranges from 1,300 to 1,900 meters.

[Embu]

This producing region is close to Mount Kenya, and the name Embu comes from Embu town. About 70% of the local population is engaged in small-scale farming, but almost all coffee beans come from smallholder farmers, with relatively limited output. Growing altitude ranges from 1,300 to 1,900 meters.

[Meru]

Coffee in the Meru producing region is mostly grown by smallholder farmers on the slopes of Mount Kenya and the Nyambene Hills. The name Meru comes from the local Meru people. In the 1930s, they were the first Kenyans to produce coffee, thanks to the Devonshire White Paper signed in 1923, which guaranteed the rights of Kenya's African population. Growing altitude ranges from 1,300 to 1,950 meters.

[Kiambu]

The Kiambu producing region is located in central Kenya and is dominated by large coffee estates. However, with urbanization advancing, the number of coffee estates has gradually decreased. Coffee from Kiambu is usually sold under sub-region names such as Thika, Ruiru, and Limuru. There are also a considerable number of smallholder farmers in the region. Growing altitude ranges from 1,500 to 2,200 meters.

[Machakos]

The Machakos producing region is a relatively small county in central Kenya, named after Machako town. Coffee production in this region includes both estates and smallholder farmers. Growing altitude ranges from 1,400 to 1,850 meters.

[Nakuru]

The Nakuru producing region is located in central Kenya and has the highest-altitude coffee growing areas among the central producing regions. Due to some high-altitude coffee plants being infected with Dieback disease and ceasing to grow. The region's name comes from Nakuru town. Growing altitude ranges from 1,850 to 2,200 meters.

[Kisii]

The Kisii producing region is located in the southwestern part of Kenya's coffee producing areas, near Lake Victoria, and is relatively small in size. Most coffee in the region comes from cooperative societies formed by free small-scale producers. Growing altitude ranges from 1,450 to 1,800 meters.

Kenya's Coffee Grading System

Friends who have seen Front Street's content on Kenyan coffee will easily notice that Kenya AA appears frequently. Kenya developed its coffee economy during the colonial period, and the entire system leaned toward refined management. In terms of selection and breeding, grading, and processing methods, Kenya's level at the time far exceeded many coffee producing countries. It was not until decades later that other countries also recognized the advantages of refined management and followed suit, gradually diminishing Kenya's unique position.

1. Classified by size, shape, and weight

E: Elephant bean, 18 mesh and above (including round beans), contains large round beans; like PB, relatively small in quantity

AA: 17-18 mesh

AB: 15-16 mesh, a blend of Grade A and Grade B; 17 mesh (6.8mm) and above is Grade A, 16 mesh (6.3mm) and above is Grade B

TT: Light beans screened from AA and AB by air separator

PB: 15 mesh and above, round bean (peaberry), accounting for about 10% of Kenyan coffee

C: 12-14 mesh, plus light beans screened from PB by air separator

T: Below 12 mesh, with many defective beans, broken beans, and light beans

HE: Grades outside the above are called HE (Hulled Ears)

2. Raw beans that have not undergone official standard grading are UG (ungrade)

E, AA, AB, PB → UG1

C, TT, T, HE → UG2

3. MBUNI (natural sun-dried beans, non-washed processing)

All raw beans undergo gravity separator

MH: heavy mbuni, heavy beans, yellow, no black beans, broken pieces, dried fruit, or other defects; cup profile shows typical natural flavor with no taste defects

ML: light mbuni, yellow-green, with a small amount of insect-damaged beans or black beans, no odorous beans or broken pieces, no earthy taste or other bad flavors in the cup

The above is Kenya's official national grading system. In addition, Kenyan exporters or green bean traders may add special grades (not officially recognized by the Kenyan government) for AA and AB grades, in order: TOP, PLUS (+), FAQ

Reasons Behind Kenyan Coffee's Taste Characteristics

Central and South American beans typically ferment in washing channels for no more than 36 hours, while Kenya's washing time is as long as 72 hours. After 30 to 48 hours of fermentation, the parchment beans are removed from the channel. At this point, the mucilage on the bean surface has been completely removed, but they still need to be soaked in clean water for 24 hours. After cupping many beans, Front Street found that this additional fermentation process should be closely related to the bright and clean flavor performance characteristic of Kenyan AA coffee.

How to Drink Kenyan Coffee

Taking Front Street Coffee's Kenya Asaliya as an example:

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee): Kenya · Asaliya Coffee Beans

Producing Region: Asali Processing Plant, Thika Producing Region, Kenya

Altitude: 1,550m—1,750m

Variety: SL28, SL34

Processing Method: K72 Washed Processing

Flavor Description: Dark plum, cherry tomato, snow pear, yellow sugar, plum

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Pour-Over Parameters

Dripper: Hario V60

Dose: 15g

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Water temperature: 90℃

Grind size: EK43s #10 (80% pass rate through No. 20 standard sieve)

First pour: 30g water for 30-second bloom; second pour: pour to 125g for segmentation; when the water level drops to just about to expose the coffee bed, begin the third pour to 225g and stop; wait for the water in the dripper to completely drip through to the server, then remove the dripper. Total extraction time: 2'00".

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