Kenya's high-grown, wet-processed 100% Arabica coffees are regarded as some of the world's finest coffees. Our Kenyan Blue Mountain 'AA' is grown in the volcanic soils at high altitude surrounding Mount Elgon on the western border of Kenya and Uganda. Kenya Blue Mountain was originally grown from Jamaica Blue Mountain seeds that were planted in the 1930s by British settlers. This coffee has been strictly regulated by the Coffee Board of Kenya, where the grading 'AA' indicates that these are top quality, highly sought after coffee beans that produce excellent flavour in the cup.
This is a superb example of Kenyan coffee, is excellently well-balanced, with high acidity and blackcurrant, citrus tones.
Coffee growing only arrived in Kenya at the turn of the century, when the British brought coffee to the predominantly tea drinking nation. Since their independence, Kenyan coffee has grown to be one of the most admired coffee growing nations in the world.
A relentless focus on quality makes Kenya the pacesetter for washed coffees world wide. A "regular" Kenya AA is almost invariably an excellent cup of coffee, clean, full bodied with impressive acidity. It is a well known fact within the "coffee fraternity", that this sort of Kenyan coffee is used to improve the blends used within high-profile European coffee chains, who generally source lower grade Latin American coffee's for "bulking" purposes.
Great Kenya coffees are grown on small farms which wet-process their coffee within a cooperative. The small, individual lots from these co-ops typically amount to only 20 to 70 bags of coffee during the main crop season. The main growing area is located on the southern slope of Mount Kenya. Other Kenyan growing areas can be found on the borders between Uganda close to Mount Elgon, where our Kenyan Blue Mountain is grown.
Kenyan coffee is purchased by bidding on individual lots at the Kenyan auctions in Nairobi, which are held every Tuesday in their crop season. Competition for the "best lots" of Kenyan coffee beans can be intensely fierce with high premiums being paid for some of the most outstanding lots. These premiums are in most cases well deserved. There is no coffee on earth more deserving of the premiums, which in themselves, yield plush, decadent body, red wine acidity and bucket loads of blackcurrant flavour and aroma.
The Kenyan coffee producing system is unique, with a structure that rewards farmers directly for achieving the highest quality of coffee crops. Coffees that are to be offered for sale are first sent to the "chief taster" at the Kenyan Coffee Board, who cups the coffee and performs a "blind tasting". The results of this tasting will then be graded by bean preparation, flavour, acidity and aroma. Samples are then shipped by air to potential buyers or agents used to bid for these individual lots. The quality of Kenyan coffee will always remain high because expectations of those who buy and sell the coffee are mutually consistent, we all expect excellent coffee.
If you happen to choose our Kenyan Blue Mountain AA, you will certainly understand why we coffee lovers rave about it!
Country/Region:
Kenya, Mount Elgon
Roast/Strength:
Medium
Body/Flavour:
Full body, well-balanced, fine acidity, blackcurrant notes.
Recommended For:
Espresso, Cafetiere, Moka-Pot, Filter
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