Kenya Embu AA – Nyawira Estate – Top Lot

Description

Grown on the Eastern side of Kenya’s top growing areas. Embu is a new region for us, cannot remember even having one pass us on the sample table but couldn’t help grabbing a couple bags of this lovely coffee when it appeared.  Super clean, rich and a bit sweeter with some lovely crisp acidity, a beautiful screen.

Nyawira Estate and factory is located about 10 kilometers outside of Embu town, in Embu County, Kenya. The estate grows coffee as well as beans and bananas in the red volcanic soil found in this area. Estate driven Kenya’s are super cool, usually Kenya’s are just traceable to the factory, losing touch with the farmers. Can provide just as tasty of lots but puts a block for farmers on creating direct relationships and creating a brand around the farm.

The coffee here is depulped the same day it’s harvested, and is sorted several times both before and after depulping. The coffee is also pre-graded after depulping, and separated into three categories of quality (parchment 1, parchment 2, and “lights”). The coffee is fermented for a period of time that is determined by how the seeds feel: When the parchment isn’t sticky anymore, and is easily removed when the seeds are rubbed between a worker’s hands, then the fermentation is complete.

Tasting Notes: A bit fuller bodied for a Kenya, awesome depth of flavor. Lovely crisp grapefruit acidity, a decent shot at a caramel note, accompanied with a rich chocolaty spice undertone.  Packs a punch comparatively to many Central or South American coffees. Lighter roasts will show some decent lemony acidity, slight spice and soft grapefruit notes along with hints of a chocolaty undertone. Medium roasts bring the cup more into a nice balance building the chocolaty factor and reducing a bit of acidity. Darker roasts get a little bitter but still show some exotic spice notes and rich chocolaty factor. This cup presents best on the light to medium roast side but you will have to like some acidity in the cup to enjoy these roast levels.

Roasting Notes: Like most stand-up lots, this coffee holds the lighter roasts very nicely but will have strong acidity – light roasts will only be for those who love the Kenyan acidity. As you slow down the roast or push it more to the medium mark, the cup balances out better yet still provides an exotic cup with clearly present acidity. The brighter tones will burn out around 2nd crack but the potency of the cup will only increase into the dark roasts.

*Brewing note – Kenyans like these can be very potent cups.  For many, scaling back the amount of coffee grounds you use can provide a much more drinkable cup where more identifiable flavors can be found.