Endebess Estate, KenyaCoffee Bean Intro:

enyan Endebess Estate

Kenya · Endebess Estate

Region:  Northem Ritt Valley

Altitude: 1750-1950m

Processing Method: Natural

Grade: AA

Variety: SL28,SL34

The eastern part of the Rift Valley in Kenya is the deeper section of the entire East African Rift, with the deepest point located near Nairobi in northern Kenya. This section of the rift does not reach the sea, so the resulting lakes are shallower and have higher mineral and salt content. For example, Lake Magadi is almost entirely composed of sodium carbonate. Lake Elmenteita （Lake Elmenteita, Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, and Lake Nakuru ( Lake Nakuru) also have quite high alkalinity.

|   Estate Introduction

Endebess Estate

Endebess Estate is located in the northern part of Kenya’s Eastern Rift Valley, near the town of Kitale in Trans Nzoia County. It covers a total land area of approximately 758 acres, of which 248 acres are planted with coffee. The Natural process uses fresh water from the Koitobos River for thorough washing, then dries the beans on raised beds. Depending on weather conditions, drying typically takes 21 to 28 days. The beans are rotated at least four times daily.

The Rift Valley contains the Cherang’any Hills and a series of volcanoes, some of which are still active. The Cherang’any Hills are one of Kenya’s five major forests and watersheds, spanning three counties: Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet, and West Pokot. The Endebess Estate farm is situated at the foot of Mount Elgon, a dormant volcano on the border between Uganda and Kenya.

As early as the 1940s, Endebess Estate began cultivating and processing its own coffee, as well as that of nearby small-scale producers. It was once owned and managed by Mr. EW D’Ollier and was sold to Gatatha Farmers Co Ltd in 1976, then again to its current owner and manager, Kaitet Tea Plantations, in 2011.

SL28 has a mixed lineage of French Missionaries, Mocha, and Yemeni Typica. The original goal in breeding SL28 was to produce coffee beans in large quantities that combined high quality with resistance to pests and diseases.

In practice, the former achieved high praise, often exhibiting blackcurrant-like acidity and complex flavor profiles; the latter, while slightly less outstanding, still boasts impressive fruit flavors. These two varieties now account for 90% of Kenya’s production and are widely recognized as the representatives of Kenyan coffee.

 |    Kenyan Coffee Grading

Kenyan coffee beans are strictly graded primarily based on size, shape, and hardness, ranked from highest to lowest as AA or AA+, AB, PB, C, E, TT, T. This serves as a reference during selection, along with flavor considerations.

Coffee Size Grading

AA Plus (AA+) – AA grade with exceptionally outstanding cup quality (flavor and mouthfeel)

AA – Screen Size 17–18

AB – Screen Size 15–16, makes up the majority of production

C – Screen Size smaller than AB

TT – Lighter beans separated from AA and AB grades using an air blower

T – Lighter beans separated from C grade using an air blower

E – Elephant Bean, a large mutant bean formed by two beans fused together, also called Elephant Ear