Kenya EAFCA Winner - Githiru Coop

Sweet Maria's Coffee

The Kenya Auction system isn't like a Cup of Excellence auction, or other competitive system. Kenya Auctions are indeed about the quality of the cup, but it is really an auction on the price of quality. If two or more roasters/brokers have the same taste in Kenya coffees, and go after the same lot, then the price goes up. It's like any auction, except that it is held on a global basis. During each week of the Kenya auction, there is always a "highest price coffee" but there is no "auction winner" because it's not as if a panel of 30 cuppers sat around at the same table and scored blind lots to find the best cup. Well, here is something different. Each year, the association that covers all African coffee producing nations has a big conference, attended by folks in the coffee trade from all over. It's sorta a big ticket event (it will set you back about 5 grand per person to go, since air fare is so high). So the international attendees tend to be the bigger (richer) fish in Specialty Coffee. Junior cuppers, stay home and tend the store. (That includes me!) Anyway, part of the East African Fine Coffee Association (EAFCA) conference is a cupping competition, and as you can see, this coffee was the winning Kenya lot. So here we have a coffee that can indeed be called a "Winning Lot" because it went through the rigors of the blind cupping/competition process (head cupper was the respected Mane Alvez of Coffee Lab International). This coffee is from a medium sized co-op in the Nyeri district (perhaps my favorite peak-of-the-season Kenya lots are from here). It is a large bean size, and screens more like a 19 screen than an 18, the AA standard. Well, who cares about that... it's the cup quality that matters. Overall, this is a very bright cup when roasted to the lighter stages. I found the City roast to be sourish, tart... but definitely worth a try, if for no other reason than to define the intensity of the bright acidity on my palate. But to target a roast that maximized the "origin character" of this special lot, while bringing the acidity into better perspecitve with the other cup qualities, I tried for roasts in the Full City to Full City + range (to the verge of 2nd crack, and just a few snaps of 2nd crack). The dry fragrance is has the suggestion of caramel and hazelnut, but a sweetly floral character dominates, with distinct passion fruit aspect. The wet aroma is like a cornucopia of tropical fruit. The cup flavors were still bright but in no way shrill, with the acidity haveing a raspberry tone to it, and an undercurrent of both spice (not too pungent) and winey, rounded mid-range flavors. In the aftertaste, zesty blackberry hints emerged and lingered, with vanilla coming afterward. Roast will draw out varying cup character here, but there is no arguing the overall potency here, even if the nuaces shift. For me, for that little blackberry finish is like the pot of gold at the end of a Kenyan rainbow, and performing some slight variations on the degree of roast will yield that amazing cup. Let it rest 2-3 days of the cup flavors don't seem well-knit after a shorter rest period.

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For more information on this product, visit Sweet Maria's Coffee's website.

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