Kenya Muranga Region Limu Coffee BeansCoffee Bean Intro:
Front Street Coffee: Kenya Limu Coffee Beans
Region: Kangunu Cooperative, Muranga Region, Kenya
Altitude: 1600-1750 meters
Varieties: SL28, SL34, Batian
Grade: AA
Processing Method: Washed
Flavor: Hawthorn, berries, plum, dried fruit
Muranga Region
Located near Mount Kenya, the Muranga Region is close to the Nyeri Region and features fertile volcanic soil that provides ample nutrients for coffee cultivation. There are two rainy seasons each year, generally from March to April and November to December, with abundant rainfall, so coffee trees do not require additional artificial irrigation.
The Muranga Region has multiple coffee bean processing factories. Farmers grow coffee on a small scale, so they harvest their fresh coffee cherries and take them to nearby processing facilities for processing.
The Kangunu Cooperative is located in the Kangema area of Muranga County, at an altitude between 1600-1750 meters. There are over two thousand coffee cooperatives in the surrounding area, and all coffee cherries are processed fresh on the same day they are harvested, resulting in coffee of very high quality that enjoys a strong reputation locally. Additionally, both the Kangunu Cooperative and its producers have been certified by the Rainforest Alliance, adopting environmental measures to reduce the impact of coffee farming on the environment.
Green coffee beans
The Kangunu Cooperative Limu coffee beans sourced by Front Street are selected from Kenya’s AA-grade coffee. The AA grade refers to green beans sized between 17-18 mesh, with strict control over defective beans.
Limu includes three coffee varieties: SL28, SL34, and Batian.
SL refers to the Scott Laboratories in Kenya. In the 1930s, when coffee berry disease broke out extensively among coffee trees in Kenya, the Scott Laboratories were commissioned by the government to begin cultivating new disease-resistant varieties. Among the research outcomes, varieties No. 28 and No. 34 showed strong resistance to disease and outstanding flavor, so farmers were encouraged to plant these two varieties widely.
Kenya’s coffee breeding efforts for disease resistance continued for many years, and Batian was one of the newly developed varieties, released in 2010. It has a very high tolerance to coffee diseases, resulting in high yields as well as elegant flavor. In recent years, the planting of Batian has become increasingly common in Kenya.
Brewing Tips:
This Kenyan coffee, processed through the washed method, features unique fruity flavors. Front Street uses a light roast to preserve more of the fruit aromas in the coffee. Through cupping, Front Street found that this Limu coffee has a particularly prominent acidity, delivering the tartness of dark fruits like plum, hawthorn, and blueberry, along with the intense sweetness of dried fruit.
Filter: V60
Water Temperature: 90-91ºC
Dose: 15g
Brew Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Granulated sugar size (80% passing through a #20 sieve)
Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, then pour in a circular motion with a small stream of water up to 125g for the first pour. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring up to 225g and stop. Allow all the coffee to drip through before ending the extraction. (Start timing from the bloom.) Total extraction time is 2'00”-2’15”.
