New single origin

KENYA
KONYU
AB 

By Intelligentsia Sourcing | September 11, 2024

New single origin

KENYA
KONYU
AB

By Intelligentsia Sourcing | Septem 11, 2024

New single origin

COLOMBIA
STRIPED RED BOURBON
COLOMBIA
STRIPED RED BOURBON

By Intelligentsia Sourcing | January 26, 2024

The Variety

Distinct


Kenyan coffees are some of the most expressive in the world. When thinking about factors that can affect the quality of a given coffee harvest, we often discuss soil, elevation, and rainfall, but the frequency of cherry picking and processing protocols are equally important to consider. In Kenya, cherries are picked 1-2 times per week during the harvest, unlike in the Americas, where picking generally occurs three times throughout the entire harvest. We believe that this frequent picking, along with meticulous grading protocols, catapults Kenyan coffee into a completely different class of expressiveness.
 

Place + Process

This Konyu AA lot comes from Kenya's Kirinyaga region, situated just south of towering Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa after Kilimanjaro. This lot was grown by members who deliver their coffee to the Karabe Society's Konyu factory, named after the local stream that provides fresh water for coffee processing. Farmers grow coffee from SL-28, SL-34, Batian, and Ruiru trees on land with an average elevation of 1,800 meters above sea level. The combination of high altitude and mineral-rich soil create an environment ripe for growing specialty coffee, the quality of which is enhanced by Kenya's meticulous picking, processing, and sorting protocols. 

For those interested in the details, the 'AB' designation refers to the coffee's grade, which is part of Kenya's unique grading system and sorting protocol. AB is one of eight grades in addition to Kenya AA, Kenya E (Elephant Bean), Kenya PB (Peaberry), Kenya C, Kenya TT, Kenya T, and Kenya MH/ML. During sorting, beans are rated based on their size, shape, color, and density, and then grouped into lots that correspond to their grade. You may recognize the AA grade from our last release, Gatina AA. Compared to AA, AB beans are slightly smaller, but both grades represent the top tier of Kenya's coffee grading spectrum. 

Variety

The SL varieties, SL-28 and SL-34, were originally tested and selected by a research facility, Scott Agricultural Laboratories, in the 1930s. Since that time, SL-28 has become one of the most highly regarded varieties in coffee. Though you can now find SL-28 cultivated outside of Kenya (like on Epe's farm, Malacara, or some upcoming releases from Central America that we have planned), the distinct expressiveness and vibrance of SL-28 from Kenya is hard to replicate in other environments. 

The other varieties found in this lot include Ruiru and Batian, which both offer much more protection against common diseases like coffee leaf rust and coffee berry disease than their SL counterparts. This combination of varieties preserves the unique notes and high cup scores that Kenyan coffees are known for, while also providing some risk mitigation to preserve yields and income for farmers.


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