Kenyan SL28 from SASINI Estate in Kiambu

If you’ve ever wondered why some Kenyan coffees taste like a burst of fresh berries with a winey brightness, the answer often lies in both the variety and the processing—especially when you’re tasting SL28 grown at high altitudes. This article unpacks the distinct character of coffee from SASINI Estate in Kenya’s Kiambu region, where careful farming and a unique double fermentation method shape an exceptional cup.

The SASINI Estate in Kiambu grows SL28 coffee at elevations between 1500 and 2000 meters, producing a washed coffee with double fermentation that results in complex fruit and wine notes. Key flavour highlights include blueberry, citrus, and honey, with a balanced acidity and a syrupy body.

Where SASINI Estate Is Located

SASINI Estate sits in Kenya’s Kiambu region, on the slopes of Mount Kenya, at an altitude of around 1800 meters. The area offers a mild climate with plenty of sunlight, well-drained, fertile, acidic red volcanic soils with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. These environmental factors—cool temperatures, high elevation, and rich soil—create ideal conditions for slow cherry maturation and complex flavour development in the coffee cherries.

Growing Conditions and Processing Details

The estate’s coffee benefits from annual rainfall of around 1200 millimeters. The main harvests occur during two distinct seasons: April to June and October to December. The coffee variety planted is SL28, a renowned Kenyan cultivar known for its outstanding cup quality and high acidity, developed by the Scott Laboratories in the 1930s.

The processing method is what truly sets SASINI’s SL28 apart: a double fermentation washed process. Here’s how it works:

• Freshly picked cherries undergo floatation to remove underripe or defective beans.
• Cherries are depulped to remove the skin.
• The beans then ferment overnight (around 12–24 hours) in the upper section of a fermentation tank.
• Next, they are washed and moved to a lower fermentation tank where they undergo an additional 36-hour fermentation, with water changed several times during the process.
• After the second fermentation, beans are washed again, then soaked in water for 12 hours.
• Finally, the beans are dried in the sun.

This extended fermentation window—ranging between 48 and 72 hours total—contributes significantly to the winey, fruity complexity found in the cup.

Flavour Profile and Cup Characteristics

The resulting cup from SASINI’s SL28 is remarkably vivid. Tasters frequently note a bright citrus and berry-driven profile with layered flavours. On the nose, there’s a strong presence of blueberry, backed by citrus notes like grapefruit and mandarin. The flavour carries through with honey, strawberry, longan, and white wine-like acidity. Some tasters also pick up subtle notes of osmanthus and caramel.

As for the mouthfeel, the coffee presents a bold, juicy blueberry aroma on the finish. The initial acidity is clean and citrus-forward—mainly grapefruit and orange—while the mid-palate bursts with blueberry flavour. The finish transitions into soft strawberry and sweet longan notes, with a balance of winey and caramel undertones. The overall acidity is bright but not sharp, and the body is round and expressive.

The bean size is graded as AB (screen size 15–16), a common commercial and specialty grade in Kenya denoting a quality threshold suitable for high-end roasting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SASINI Estate, and where is it located?

SASINI Estate is a coffee farm situated in Kenya’s Kiambu region, near Mount Kenya, at around 1800 meters above sea level. It features fertile, well-drained, acidic red volcanic soils and benefits from abundant sunlight and consistent rainfall, making it ideal for high-quality coffee production.

What coffee variety does SASINI Estate grow?

SASINI Estate grows the SL28 variety, a classic Kenyan coffee cultivar developed by Scott Laboratories in the 1930s. It is prized for its vibrant acidity, deep fruit flavours, and wine-like characteristics.

How is the coffee processed at SASINI Estate?

The coffee is processed using a double fermentation washed method. This involves an initial overnight fermentation, washing, then a second longer fermentation of 36 hours in a separate tank, with multiple water changes. Afterward, the beans are washed again, soaked for 12 hours, and finally sun-dried. Total fermentation time ranges between 48 and 72 hours.

What altitude is SASINI Estate coffee grown at?

Coffee at SASINI Estate is cultivated between 1500 and 2000 meters above sea level. This high elevation slows cherry maturation, allowing for greater sugar development and complex acidity in the cup.

When is the coffee harvested at SASINI Estate?

The main harvest seasons at SASINI Estate are from April to June and from October to December. These periods align with the peak ripening times in Kenya’s two annual flowering cycles.

What does SASINI’s SL28 taste like?

SASINI’s SL28 features a bright, complex cup with notes of blueberry, grapefruit, honey, strawberry, longan, white wine, caramel, and tea. The acidity is vibrant yet balanced, with a juicy mouthfeel and layered flavours that transition from citrus to berry to subtle stone fruit.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Exploring Kenyan SL28

For a similar high-elevation Kenyan SL28 experience, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Kenya Little Tomato, which highlights SL28 alongside SL34. It offers intense fruitiness with notes of blackcurrant, citrus, tomato, and brown sugar. Another great option is FrontStreet’s Classic Blend, which balances Kenyan brightness with other East African origins. Both showcase the signature SL28 acidity and fruit depth. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.