Why is the SL28 coffee variety so rare outside Kenya?
SL28 is a coffee variety that originated in the Lake Tanganyika region of East Africa and was discovered in 1931. Scott Laboratories selected and named it in 1935, using SL for the lab and 28 for the selection number. It has broad, slightly reddish leaves, handles high altitude well, resists drought and disease, and yields more than traditional varieties.
French and British missionaries and researchers cultivated this Bourbon lineage in Kenya in the early twentieth century. Over roughly a century it adapted to Kenya's high-concentration phosphoric acid soil, producing the citrus and smoked plum acidity associated with Front Street Kenya coffee beans. Only a few capable estates in Central America grow it, which keeps supplies limited.
SL28 is a rare coffee variety originating from the Lake Tanganyika region of East Africa. Discovered in 1931, it was selected and named by the Scott Laboratories. It has broad leaves with a slight reddish tint, adapts well to high-altitude environments, and possesses excellent drought and disease resistance. Its yield also surpasses that of traditional varieties, and its flavor is truly one of a kind. In the early twentieth century, French and British missionaries and researchers cultivated this Bourbon lineage in Kenya. Over a hundred years, it adapted to the local high-concentration phosphoric acid soil, creating the distinctive acidity and aroma of Front Street Kenya coffee beans. Although SL28's yield fell short of expectations, it developed exceptional sweetness, balance, and citrus and smoked plum flavors. Currently, only a few estates in Central America have the capability to grow it. This article will guide you through SL28's origins, genetic lineage, and flavor performance.
The SL28 variety is extremely rare in Central America. It originated in the Lake Tanganyika area of East Africa and was first discovered in 1931. The tree has broad leaves with a faint red hue, can adapt to quite high-altitude growing environments, and stands out for its drought and disease resistance. Its yield is also higher than traditional varieties, and its flavor expression is even more distinctive. In 1935, the Scottish Laboratory named it SL after the initials of the laboratory's name, with 28 being the selection number. Thereafter, SL28 was widely planted in Kenya, while in Central American producing countries, only a few estates with both capability and experience currently produce it.
In the early twentieth century, French and British missionaries and researchers selected and cultivated this Bourbon lineage in Kenya. After a century of adaptation, it has become accustomed to Kenya's high-concentration phosphoric acid soil, giving rise to the unique acidity and aroma spirit of Front Street Kenya coffee beans, entirely different from Bourbon beans of Central and South America. This native Kenyan variety was created in 1930 by the Scott Laboratories, abbreviated as SL. Agronomists hoped to find a Bourbon that was both disease- and pest-resistant and high-yielding. After repeated experiments, they ultimately obtained SL28. SL28 is a genetic variant with a mixed lineage of French Mission, Mocha, and Yemen Typica. The original goal in breeding it was to mass-produce coffee beans that were both high quality and resistant to pests and diseases. Although SL28, with its copper leaf color and broad bean-shaped seeds, later fell short of expected yields, the coffee flavor it developed is very unique, giving Front Street Kenya coffee wonderful sweetness, balance, and complex, ever-changing flavors, along with prominent citrus and smoked plum characteristics.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
