The last time we featured a Kenyan coffee on our menu was in 2017, and though we’ve been wanting to bring it back sooner, we could never seem to find the right opportunity to do so. When we learned from our partner importers that the 2020 harvest showcases some of the best coffees in recent years, we knew we had to make room for it.
We think Kenyan coffees are quite unique and are unlike any other coffees we’ve tasted from other producing countries. They tend to have a wine-like acidity and carry a wide range of complex citrus and berry notes. However, what distinguishes some of the best Kenyan coffees are its sweet and savory qualities, with intense tomato and herbaceous flavors. For some, a savoriness in coffee may sound unappealing, but for many coffee aficionados, it makes their mouth water.
Michael, Corey, and I all have very different preferences when it comes to Kenyan coffees, and because it’s been so long since we’ve offered it on our menu, it was even more important to us that we struck a balance between what we felt was suitable for Andytown. Michael tends to gravitate towards the super tomato-y and savory flavor profile to the point where he likes to be reminded of drinking tomato soup. Corey prefers milder tomato notes with bright acidity and velvety body, and I love something between the two of them: tomato-y, buttery, herbal, but sweet and punchy with citrus notes.
We evaluated nearly a dozen samples, and all of them were incredibly bright and clean. This comes as no surprise, considering that Kenya is known for some of the most meticulous large volume processing that can be found around the world. The strict protocol is a result of the cooperative system of production that dominates the Kenyan coffee industry. A vast majority of Kenyan coffee is produced by smallholder farmers, but most are members of a cooperative that manage a wet mill. Most coffees in Kenya are also washed, because washing processes can be precisely controlled and can turn out a consistent product. After washing, coffees then go through more sorting at a dry mill that is often managed by an umbrella organization known as a cooperative society.
Out of all the coffees we tasted, this coffee from the Gura Factory (wet mill) was the winner, and strikes a balance between our flavor preferences. It has a brilliant acidity that becomes more present as it cools, and holds a consistently luscious body throughout the drinking experience. We set our flavor notes to ginger, lemon curd, and buttery pasty, but we’ve also picked up notes of sungold tomato and sweet herbs!
