AA17/18
6.8–7.2 mm
6.8–7.2 mm
Large, dense beans off the highest farms. The most complex cup we ship and the sharpest acidity — the flagship lot for filter and single origin.
- Density
- 700–750 g/l
- Best for
- filter · espresso
- Share of crop
- ≈ 20 %
Specialty arabica from Kenya
Grades: AA · AB · PB
Kenyan coffee is sorted by bean size and shape after milling, and the sort you buy moves both the price and the roast. The silhouettes below are drawn to the real screen proportions; the table is the specification we contract on.
Specification · 2025/26 crop
What the grade letter actually buys you
A Kenyan grade describes size and density after hulling, not cup quality on its own — AA and AB off the same wet mill can sit 0.5 SCA points apart and 20 % apart on price. Screen, size, cup character and minimum lot are the four lines that end up in the contract.
AB15/16
6.0–6.6 mm
6.0–6.6 mm
The workhorse of the Kenyan crop: the same character with the acidity a shade calmer. The best value per kilo for blends and volume roasting.
- Density
- 700–750 g/l
- Best for
- blends · espresso
- Share of crop
- ≈ 55 %
PB—
5.5–6.2 mm
5.5–6.2 mm
One round bean instead of two — it ripens faster and roasts more evenly. Concentrated sweetness, pronounced aroma, and a small volume that commits early.
- Density
- 700–750 g/l
- Best for
- filter · pour-over
- Share of crop
- ≈ 10 %
| Grade | Screen | Size, mm | Cup character | Min. lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA | 17/18 | 6.8–7.2 | Blackcurrant, tomato, dense acidity | 30 kg |
| AB | 15/16 | 6.0–6.6 | Red berries, citrus, juicy body | 30 kg |
| PB | — | 5.5–6.2 | Sweetness, intense aroma, even roast | 30 kg |
| E | 19+ | 7.2+ | Elephant bean, limited lots | on request |
| TT | — | — | Light fraction of AA/AB, commercial grade | on request |
Every grade ships in 60 kg jute with a GrainPro liner; sample lots go vacuum-packed. Contract moisture 10–12 %, water activity at or below 0.60, screen tolerance ±2 %, and no more than 5 full defects per 300 g.
Cupping · SCA protocol
Cup profile
Average SCA scores for the AA lots cupped this season. Every shipment carries its own sheet, and a lot that misses the profile does not leave the Nairobi warehouse.
Aroma8.00
Flavour8.25
Aftertaste7.75
Acidity8.50
Body8.00
Balance8.00
Overall8.00
678910
SCA scale 6.00–10.00 · average of 14 lots · sweetness, uniformity and clean cup at 10.00 each
Show as a table
| Attribute | Score |
|---|---|
| Aroma | 8.00 |
| Flavour | 8.25 |
| Aftertaste | 7.75 |
| Acidity | 8.50 |
| Body | 8.00 |
| Balance | 8.00 |
| Overall | 8.00 |
| Sweetness · uniformity · clean cup | 30.00 |
| Total | 86.50 |
Descriptors
Washed Kenyan arabica is recognisable blind: winey acidity over a savoury, tomato-like depth. That is the signature. Roast light and the berry and citrus come forward; take it to a medium and you get caramel sweetness and black tea.
A roast note travels with every sample — drop temperature, development time and the profile we cupped the lot on — so your first roast is a comparison rather than a guess.
- SCA total
- 86.50
- Sample
- AA · 14 lots · 2025/26