Crema Trekkers: Kenya AA Kasinga Single Origin
- 3 July 2019
Kenya AA Kasinga – the Third Single Origin Coffee of the Crema Trekkers Africa Subscription
The third coffee for our Africa Trek 2019 single origin coffee subscription is sourced from Machakos County in Kenya. This mix of SL 28, SL 34 and Ruiru 11 coffee cultivars is washed processed by the Kasinga Farmers Co-op Society and includes only beans of an AA grade (above screen 18 size).
REGION: Machakos County
PRODUCER: Kasinga Farmers Co-op Society (approx. 1083 members)
ALTITUDE: 1,400-1,830m asl
VARIETAL: SL 28, SL 34, Ruiru 11
PROCESS: Washed
GRADE: AA (above screen 18)
The Kenya AA Kasinga Single Origin Roasted Coffee is Perfect for Espresso, Paper Filter Coffee & Cold Brewing!
The Kenya AA Kasinga single origin coffee is a high-quality roasted coffee that is particularly well suited to alternative brewing methods, such as Pour Over, Chemex and Cold Brew.
Tasting Notes: This is a medium-bodied coffee with a sugarcane sweetness and grapefruit acidity, buttery body, enhanced by notes of toffee and milk chocolate.
Aroma: Sweet
Flavour Strength: 9/10
Sweetness: 8/10
Body: 6/10
Grab a bag of Kenya AA Kasinga coffee today!
The SL 28, SL 34 & Ruiru 11 Coffee Varietals
The SL 28 is a drought-tolerant plant with very good cup quality potential, but it is more susceptible to major diseases. This cultivar is from the Bourbon-Typica and originally found in Kenya, and has since spread to Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe and parts of Latin America. According to World Coffee Research, “SL28 was selected at the former Scott Agricultural Laboratories (individual tree selections made at the Scott Laboratories during the 1935-1939 period were prefixed SL)… SL28 was selected in 1935 from a single tree in a population called Tanganyika Drought Resistant.” As a varietal, it is “among the most well-known and well-regarded varieties of Africa... The variety is suited for medium to high altitudes and shows resistance to drought, but is susceptible to the major diseases of coffee. SL28 is notable for its rusticity—a quality meaning that it can be left untended for years or even decades at a time, and then return to successful production. There are SL28 trees in many parts of Kenya that are 60-80 years old and still productive.”
SL 34 is a hardy varietal that has adapted well to high altitudes, but does need good rainfall and is susceptible to coffee berry disease. Common characteristics of this varietal include tall stature, dark bronze shoot tipped plants and large berries. Recent tests indicate it is genetically related to the Typica group. According to World Coffee Research, “SL34 was originally selected in Kenya the late 1930s at the Scott Agricultural Laboratories (for more on Scott Labs, see SL28). Individual tree selections made at the Scott Laboratories in Kenya during the 1935-1939 period were prefixed “SL.” SL34 was selected from a single tree on the Loresho Estate in Kabete, Kenya since research at the Scott Laboratories was often conducted in cooperation with local, private estate owners.”
Ruiru 11 is a high-yielding dwarf hybrid that is tolerant to both coffee leaf rust and coffee berry disease, grown commonly in Kenya. It is a composite variety made of many varieties, including Catimor (female parent) and a multi cross selection of K7, SL28, N39, Rume Sudan and others (male parent). According to World Coffee Research, “Ruiru 11 owes its existence to a coffee berry disease (CBD) epidemic in 1968 that lead to the loss of 50% of Kenya’s production. The crisis sparked action. In the 1970s, the coffee research station at Ruiru, which gives Ruiru 11 its name, began an intensive breeding program for varieties that were immune to CBD. This led to the development of Ruiru 11, which was released in 1985.”
Kasinga Farmers Co-op Society, Kenya
The Kasinga Farmers Co-op Society, which includes over 1800 members, is a member of the Machakos Co-operative Union which focuses its annual funding on supporting youth and women’s groups and sustainability schemes. The MCULtd includes a total of 34 coffee societies to sustainably engage coffee production, processing and marketing in Machakos County, where Kasinga FCS is located.
Images Sourced:
http://www.petercowleyafricatrust.co.uk/mcu.html
https://investmentnews.co.ke/news/coffee-talk-machakos-makueni-counties-mcu-puts-new-look-website/
https://www.esseloncoffee.com/product/kenya-aa-nyeri-wachuri/
https://pixels.com/featured/kenya-coffee-pickers-in-field-christopher-pillitz.html
http://blog.olamspecialtycoffee.com/2017/07/21/kenyan-coffee/
