Kenya Kaguyu AACoffee Bean Intro:

Kenya Kaguyu AA Coffee Beans

Region: Kenya Kaguyu Kaguyu Processing Station

Grade: AA (coffee bean size between 17–18 mesh)

Variety: SL28 & SL34

Processing Method: K72 Washed

Altitude: 1400m

Harvest Season: 2020

Kaguyu Region

The Kaguyu region is located on the slopes of Mount Kenya, at an altitude of 1300–1900 meters. Adjacent to the Nyeri region, it is renowned worldwide for its intense, layered, and full-bodied coffee flavors, and is recognized alongside Nyeri as one of Kenya’s two finest coffee-producing regions. Kaguyu has two harvest seasons: October to December (main season) and June to August (secondary season).

Most producers in this area are smallholder coffee farmers who are part of cooperatives. The cooperatives play a unifying role by providing washed processing facilities, where farmers deliver their coffee cherries for processing. Preliminary Street Coffee’s cupping revealed bright acidity, medium body, and delicate sweetness in the flavors of this region.

Kaguuyo Processing Factory

Kaguyu

The Kaguuyo Processing Factory is located west of Kaguyu in southern Kenya. This factory is operated through a cooperative of noi farmers, who collectively deliver their freshly picked coffee cherries to the factory for washed processing.

With the support of its partner, the Coffee Management Services (CMS), the Kaguuyo Processing Factory has long-term goals to increase production by training farmers, increasing investments, providing agricultural knowledge training, and supplying new materials related to sustainable farming. By improving farmers’ incomes and encouraging them, the factory gradually achieves these goals. Establishing transparent and trusting partnerships with smallholders helps support the sustained growth of Kenya’s entire coffee industry and continuously raises the production standards of high-quality Kenyan coffee.

72-hour Fermented Washed

K72

Most washed coffees in Kenya undergo Kenya’s unique K72 washed process: ripe coffee cherries are washed, depulped, and then undergo a 24-hour dry fermentation before being washed again. This is followed by another 24-hour fermentation and wash, then another 24-hour dry fermentation, repeating the cycle to achieve a total of 72 hours of intense fermentation.

After the final fermentation and wash, the beans are soaked in clean water tanks overnight. The next morning, they are spread out on raised beds for sun drying to avoid picking up earthy or other off-flavors. Due to the 72-hour fermentation process, it is referred to as Kenya 72-hour Fermented Washed, or simply K72.

Coffee Bean Varieties

SL28&SL34

SL-28 and SL-34. These are two of the 40 varieties developed from a research project led by Guy Gibson at the Scott Laboratories (SL) under the direction of the laboratory in 1930.

According to plant scientists at SL Laboratories, SL28 and SL34 are genetic variants. They make up the majority of Kenya’s high-quality coffee production, though these varieties are susceptible to leaf rust. Preliminary Street Coffee’s individual cupping of both varieties found that SL34 and SL28 share similar flavors, featuring complex and varied acidity and a wonderful sweet finish. SL34 also has a heavier, richer body and is cleaner than SL28.

Preliminary Street Coffee Roasting Recommendation

Preliminary Street Coffee roasters used a Yangjia 800N semi-direct flame roaster with a charge weight of 480g: the charge temperature was set to 165°C, with a fan speed of 3 and heat at 120. The turning point was at 1’28”. When the temperature reached 140°C, the fan speed was adjusted to 4. At 6’10”, the temperature was 154.3°C, the fan speed was increased to 5, the bean surface turned yellow, and the grassy aroma completely disappeared, indicating the end of the drying phase.

When the bean surface showed rough wrinkles and black streaks, and the toastiness distinctly turned into coffee aroma, it signaled the prelude to first crack. At this point, it’s important to listen carefully for the first crack sound. First crack began at 9’45”, the fan speed remained unchanged, the heat was reduced from 188°C to 90, and the first crack development time was 1’40”. The batch was dropped at 193°C.

Preliminary Street Coffee Cupping Report

Dry Aroma: Berries

Wet Aroma: Dark Plum

Flavor: Dark Plum, Nectarine, Honey, Green Grapes