Kenya’s coffee grows high on equatorial slopes, where sun and cool nights trade shifts daily. Red volcanic soils and mountain air build sweetness, density, and a bright, structured acidity very slowly. Most cherries come from smallholders, carried to local wet mills called factories for processing. The cup feels vivid yet clean, like fruit over tea, with a long, polished finish.
Kenya AA is not a region or variety; it’s a green-bean grade assigned after milling. AA means larger screen-sorted beans, often linked to even roasting and classic Kenya intensity overall. Even so, Kenyans debate size versus cup quality, so AA is a clue, not a guarantee. Buy Kenya AA for clarity, then let freshness and roast show its true character.
After milling, Kenya grades coffee by size, shape, density, and visible defects for export lots. AA is the large-bean grade, passing screen eighteen and held by screen seventeen in sorting. AB is slightly smaller, PB is peaberry, and E is elephant outliers from screens sometimes. Cuppers note that bean size alone cannot promise sweetness, acidity, or complexity in a cup always.
Grading creates uniform lots so roasters can apply heat evenly and predict development consistently. Many buyers chase AA, yet AB often cups brilliantly, depending on density and preparation too. Look for fresh crop, clean screen sorting, and transparent station or estate naming on bags. Those details predict quality more reliably than two letters printed beside Kenya on a label.
Kenya’s signature washed process starts with pulping, then controlled fermentation to loosen mucilage carefully today. After washing, parchment is often soaked in clean water, commonly twelve to seventy-two hours again. FAO notes Kenya studies where about twelve hours soaking after fermentation improved color and taste. This extra soak, sometimes called double washed, sharpens clarity and keeps acidity crisp, not rough.
Most cherries arrive at cooperative factories, where staff float-sort and separate densities in channels first. Fermentation times shift with temperature, but many mills work within roughly twelve to forty-eight hours. After soaking, parchment dries on raised beds, turned often, until moisture stabilizes for storage safely. When done well, the cup tastes transparent, like fruit and flowers framed by clean water.
Kenya AA often shows blackcurrant, citrus peel, and sweet cane sugar over juicy acidity notes. Sweetness can read like syrup, while the body stays medium and lively rather than heavy overall. Many lots carry floral lift, and the finish can feel winey without ever tasting fermented. Variety matters too: SL28 and SL34 commonly anchor Kenya’s brightest, most complex cups again.
Roast Kenya AA medium-light, aiming for sweetness that supports acidity, not caramelized heaviness alone ever. For pour-over, bloom longer, pour gently, and avoid aggressive stirring that muddies clarity quickly today. Use clean water with moderate minerals, because very hard water can mute fruit notes significantly. For espresso, lower temperature slightly and run a longer yield to reveal berry sweetness clearly.
