Kenya - Gakui AA

SL28 and SL34 are two of the most celebrated coffee varietals in Kenya, both developed by Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the 1930s through selective breeding.

SL28 is a Bourbon-type varietal, bred for its drought resistance and exceptional cup quality. It thrives at medium to high altitudes and remains one of the most prized varietals in East Africa, often associated with some of the region’s most distinctive and high-scoring coffees. While drought tolerant, it is susceptible to common coffee diseases like leaf rust and CBD (Coffee Berry Disease).

SL34, though often mistaken for a Bourbon-type due to its early classification as a French Mission coffee, is genetically a Typica-type varietal. It was selected from a single tree on the Lorosho Estate in Kabete. SL34 is well adapted to high altitudes with reliable rainfall and is known for both high yield and excellent cup quality. Like SL28, it’s also vulnerable to major coffee diseases despite its productivity.

Together, SL28 and SL34 form the backbone of Kenya’s reputation for bright, complex, and layered coffees.

Processing coffee in Kenya is refreshingly straightforward—and that’s a big part of why Kenyan coffees so clearly showcase their unique terroir and varietal character.

Nearly all Kenyan coffees undergo a fully washed process, starting the moment cherries arrive at the processing factory. First, cherries are carefully sorted and floated to separate the good from the bad—removing low-density, damaged, underripe, overripe, or otherwise defective cherries. The lower-quality fruit heads off to commodity-grade coffee, while the best cherries are processed separately.

Next, the good cherries are depulped and then go through a two-step fermentation: a dry mass fermentation in tanks for 12 to 18 hours, followed by another 12 to 18 hours submerged in clean water. After fermentation, the coffee is washed in channels, where any remaining low-density beans are removed, ensuring only the highest quality make the cut.

The coffee then dries on raised beds, carefully tended through morning and evening hours. During the hottest parts of the day, it’s covered or moved indoors to protect it from direct sun, allowing the beans to dry slowly and evenly. Farmers rotate the coffee by hand throughout the drying process, which not only promotes uniform drying but also allows them to remove any defective beans missed earlier.

These meticulous sorting, fermentation, and drying steps result in Kenyan coffees known for their exceptional clarity, brightness, and lively flavors. In fact, so effective is this process that many of the world’s top coffee producers have adopted similar methods to bring out the best in their own coffees.

Kenya is renowned worldwide for its high-quality coffee, a reputation built on nearly a century of dedication to excellence since the Kenyan government introduced the Coffee Act in the early 1930s. This long-standing focus on quality, combined with Kenya’s unique terroir, has helped establish its coffee as some of the best in the world.

The country’s major coffee-growing regions rest on a high plateau that benefits from ample year-round sunlight and well-defined rainy and dry seasons. The rich, red volcanic soil provides an ideal environment for growing healthy, vibrant coffee varietals.

Kenyan coffees are known for their bright acidity, balanced by a pronounced sweetness and a silky to syrupy body. Typical flavor profiles often include citrus and tropical fruits alongside berries, currants, and stone fruits—making these coffees a true pleasure to both roast and enjoy.