{"product_id":"kenya-aa-plus-fully-washed-single-origin-coffee-from-the-slopes-of-mount-kenya","title":"Kenya AA Plus | Fully Washed Single-Origin Coffee from the Slopes of Mount Kenya","description":"\u003ch2\u003eKenya AA Plus Fully Washed Single-Origin Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA lot of roasters get into specialty coffee because of a cup from Kenya, and this lot is a great reminder of why. It's big, bright, and full of character, with notes of wine, peach, and lime and a lively acidity is apparent from the very first sip.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat does \"AA Plus\" mean?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKenya grades its coffee by bean size, and AA is the largest grade, made up of beans that sit on a 17\/18 screen. \"Plus\" takes it a step further. These beans meet the same size standard as AA, but they're also selected for cup quality, not just size. Larger, denser beans roast more evenly, and in Kenya they tend to show that classic blackcurrant and citrus character most clearly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere it comes from\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis coffee comes from Kenya's open auction system, the Nairobi Coffee Exchange. The auction is transparent and quality is graded openly. Because of that, Kenyan farmers consistently earn strong prices compared to many other origins. It's an atypical  way to buy coffee, but it works really well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost of it is grown in the hills around Mount Kenya, where rich volcanic soil plays a big role in the flavor. The farms here are very small, so small they're usually measured by number of trees rather than acres. That scale allows farmers to pick with real care, harvesting only ripe cherries and delivering them to the local wet mill the same day. Those mills have plenty of water available, which is what makes Kenya's careful washing process possible in the first place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKenya AA Plus Fully Washed Single-Origin Coffee Tasting Notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDetails \u0026amp; Notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlavors:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wine, Peach, Lime\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mount Kenya region, Kenya\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eElevation:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1,600 MASL\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e SL28, SL34, Batian, Ruiru 11\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProcess:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fully Washed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDrying:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mechanical dryer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHarvest:\u003c\/strong\u003e October\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRoast:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium-Light\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAcidity:\u003c\/strong\u003e High\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBody:\u003c\/strong\u003e Above average\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSweetness:\u003c\/strong\u003e High\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFlavor Profile \u0026amp; Tasting Notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExpect wine, peach, and lime with high acidity, above-average body, and plenty of sweetness to balance it all out. A bright, fruit-forward cup with the depth Kenyan coffees are known for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA word on the varieties\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSL28 and SL34 are well-known varietals. They were selected in Kenya in the 1930s and are a big part of what people mean when they say a coffee tastes \"Kenyan.\" Batian and Ruiru 11 are newer, disease-resistant varieties developed to help protect these farms from coffee leaf rust. It's common for Kenyan lots to include all four, and that mix is part of what gives these coffees so much depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow We Roast It\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe roast this one medium-light. A coffee with this much acidity rewards a patient roast, so we stretch out the Maillard phase to build sweetness underneath, then keep development short so the peach and lime stay front and center. It's the same approach we use on our \u003ca href=\"\/products\/the-33-blend\"\u003e33 Blend\u003c\/a\u003e to keep things bright and sweet, and it lets all the care that went into this coffee at the wet mill come through in your cup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"brew-methods\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Pour Over Recipe for the Kenya AA Plus\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"method\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePour Over (Hario V60)\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoffee:\u003c\/strong\u003e 22 g whole bean\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWater:\u003c\/strong\u003e 350 g (a 1:16 ratio)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTemperature:\u003c\/strong\u003e 205 °F (Kenyan coffees handle the heat well)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrind:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium, about a 7 on our shop Mahlkönig or a 5 on a Fellow Ode at home\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGear:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hario V60, paper filter, kettle, grinder, scale, timer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWater quality:\u003c\/strong\u003e A gallon of distilled water plus a Third Wave Water packet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eInstructions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeat your water to 205 °F.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrind 22 g of coffee to a medium grind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRinse the filter thoroughly with hot water and discard the rinse water.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdd the grounds and gently shake the brewer to level the bed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart the timer and pour 50 g of water to fully saturate the grounds. Bloom for 45 seconds.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt 0:45, pour to 150 g total. Let it drain until 1:30.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt 1:30, pour to 250 g total. Let it drain until 2:10.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt 2:10, make your final pour to 350 g total and let it draw down.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTotal brew time should land around 3 to 3½ minutes. If the cup tastes a little sharp, try grinding slightly coarser or lowering the water temperature by five degrees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecipe summary:\u003c\/strong\u003e 22 g · 350 g · 205 °F · bloom 50 g for 45 s · pours at 0:45 to 150 g, 1:30 to 250 g, 2:10 to 350 g\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThese are just starting points for you! Your water and equipment will impact the end product. Experiment and find what works best for you.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can read more about why washed coffees taste the way they do in our post on \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/washed-natural-honey-coffee-processing\"\u003ewashed, natural, and honey processing\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Roasted Record Coffee Shop \u0026 Roaster - Stuart Florida","offers":[{"title":"Whole Bean \/ 12 oz","offer_id":49163318624441,"sku":null,"price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0947\/8802\/files\/kenya-aa-12oz.png?v=1789678557","url":"https:\/\/www.roastedrecord.com\/products\/kenya-aa-plus-fully-washed-single-origin-coffee-from-the-slopes-of-mount-kenya","provider":"The Roasted Record Coffee Shop \u0026 Roaster - Stuart Florida","version":"1.0","type":"link"}