Kenya AA Blackcurrant Filter Coffee

A washed coffee from Nyeri with the jammy fruit Kenya is known for, and a savory note that some tasters call tomato. A paper filter keeps it clean and juicy, which is why Kenyan coffees are so often brewed this way.

Origin & Story

Open a bag of good Kenyan coffee and the smell is often jam. Blackcurrant comes first, then grapefruit, and behind them something savory that tasters call tomato or tomato leaf. It sounds odd on paper. In the cup it reads as depth: the fruit is sweet, the acidity is bright, and the savory note stops the whole thing from tasting like juice.

Much of that character is built into the trees. Kenya's best-known varieties, SL28 and SL34, were selected in the 1930s at the Scott Agricultural Laboratories, and SL34 traces back to a single tree on the Loresho Estate near Nairobi.

The newer generation came from the Coffee Research Foundation's station at Ruiru. Batian, released in 2010 and now looked after by KALRO, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, is a composite with SL28 and SL34 among its parents. It resists coffee berry disease and has intermediate resistance to leaf rust, which matters to smallholders who cannot afford to lose a crop, while still promising very good cup quality at altitude.

Paper filters suit this style. A V60 or Kalita Wave holds back the coffee's oils and fine particles, so the fruit stays clear and the acidity stays bright instead of turning heavy. The recipe here uses a V60 at 94°C.

Reading the Flavor Profile

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