Kenya Coffee Bean Varieties Growing History_Elgon Mountains Bourbon Kent Coffee Flavor Characteristics

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A brief History of Coffee cultivation in Kenya

The varieties originally introduced to Kenya were Bourbon and India's Kent, and later Blue Mountain Tibica varieties were introduced from Jamaica and planted in Mount Elgonne. But the famous BlackBerry flavor of Kenyan coffee is brought not by Blue Mountain, Kent or traditional bourbon varieties, but by bourbon variants SL28 and SL34, which first appeared in Kenya in the 1930s. The coffee producing areas in Kenya are mainly concentrated in Mount Kenya (Mt. The plateau region represented by Kenya). Tropical climate, acid red volcanic soil provides a natural and suitable growth environment for coffee, the main producing areas such as Nyeri, Ruiru and so on.

Planting variety

The varieties of coffee in Kenya are mainly composed of three varieties: SL-28, SL-34 and Ruiru11.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Scott Lab developed the SL (Scott Lab Scott Laboratories) series through mocha species from Yemen and bourbon island species. Although the organization is active in the 1930s and 1960s, it no longer exists, but the selected SL-28 and SL-34 are the mainstays of Kenya. they all belong to the Bourbon variety, with Kenyan characteristics of larger size and wine-scented blackcurrant flavor.

SL-28

The Kenyan cultivar No. 28 was selected by Scott laboratory, and the native species of bourbon and mocha were selected. The variety, which is said to be selected from Tanganyika DR, was found by A.D. Trench on a trip to Tanzania and may be drought resistant. However, the experiment failed and developed varieties that were not drought-resistant, but inadvertently produced excellent flavor, with strong citric acid, sweetness, balance and complex flavor.

SL-34

Scott laboratory selected 34 Kenyan cultivar, an enhanced version of Bourbon native species. It is said to be selected from the coffee baking guide. The fortified bourbon tree was first planted in Kabete, Kenya. The yield of SL34 is better than that of SL28 and can grow at relatively lower elevations. It has a complex sense of citric acid, heavy feeling and clean taste.

Ruiru11

Although SL-28 and SL-34 have stood the test of time and trained generations of loyal fans of Kenyan coffee, the Kenyan government and the Coffee Research Institute (Coffee Research Foundation) have begun to promote a new variety Ruiru11 with stronger disease resistance and higher unit yield, out of consideration of coffee yield and disease resistance. The promoters assure coffee lovers that the new variety still has the classic flavor of Kenyan coffee. However, the continuous efforts have not won the recognition of coffee gluttons, who agree that there is a gap between the taste of the new variety and the traditional variety, and the prospect of Ruiru11 remains to be seen.

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