Kenya - Tatu Estate AA

SL-28 is a bourbon-type varietal that was developed through selective breeding practices by Scott Agricultural Laboratories in Kenya in the 1930’s. It was bred and propagated widely throughout Kenya for its drought resistant characteristics. The varietal is very highly regarded for its excellent cup quality and it is common for the very best coffees coming out of East Africa to be the SL-28 varietal. The varietal is very well suited for medium to high altitude and, although drought resistant, is susceptible to the major coffee diseases.

SL-34 is a typical-type varietal that, like SL-28, was developed by Scott Labs in the 1930's. It was selected for selective breeding from a single tree on Lorosho Estate in Kabete, Kenya, where it was labeled as a French Mission coffee. French Mission varietals were coffees brought back to mainland Africa, by, you guessed it, French missionaries, from the island of Bourbon (now called Reunion) so until recent genetic testing confirmed its Typica lineage it was thought that SL-34 was a bourbon-type varietal. The varietal is known for its excellent cup qualities, is adapted for high altitude areas with good rainfall, is a good producer but is susceptible to the major coffee diseases.

Processing in Kenya is a rather straightforward affair and this is a great thing because it allows for all of the incredible terroir and varietal characteristics which the country is known for to shine through clearly in the cup.

Coffees in Kenya are practically all fully washed. The process starts with sorting and floating coffee cherries as soon as they are delivered to the processing factory. This removes the bad (low density, damaged, under, over and un-ripe) cherries from the good. The bad go into commodity grade coffee and the good cherries are processed separately.

After sorting, cherries are depulped and then typically dry mass fermented in fermentation tanks for 12-18 hours followed by wet fermentation in clean water for an additional 12-18 hours. After fermentation, the coffee is washed in washing channels where any low density coffees are removed (and once again destined for commodity coffee). These sorting and fermentation practices create extremely clean coffees with incredible vibrancy.

Coffees are dried in the sun on raised coffee beds, typically in the morning and evening hours and are covered or moved to warehouses during the hours of most intense sunlight. This allows for even and slow drying which preserves the germ of the seed. During drying, the coffee is rotated by hand on the beds pretty constantly. This promotes even drying and allows for removal of any defective coffee that has made it though prior processing steps. These drying practices result in fresher and move lively flavors in the cup.

The Kenyan process works so well that many of the best producers around the world have adapted similar processing methods for the very best coffees coming from their farms.

Kenya is well-known for high-quality coffees and the country has been very focused on the quality of coffee since the Coffee Act was implemented by the Kenyan government in the early 1930's. With this longstanding focus on quality and Kenya's unique terroir it is no surprise that Kenyan coffee has made such a name for itself in terms of quality.

The major coffee regions in Kenya sit on a high plateau which receives ample sunlight throughout the year and has very distinct rainy and dry seasons. The red, nutrient dense soil, volcanic soil is the perfect medium in which to grow healthy, high-quality vareitals. The Kenyan terroir is known for high levels of brightness along with a resounding sweetness and silky to syrupy body. Typical flavor notes range from citrus and tropical fruits to berries, currants and stone fruits. These coffees are a pleasure to work with and to consume.