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Beans: Kenya AA, Natural process, Kenya, Africa.
Shop: Out of the Grey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Out of the Grey – Kenya AA: Background information.
This Kenya AA coffee comes from the highlands of Kenya and are grown at an altitude between 1600 and 1800 meters. The coffee is harvested at several farms and then picked by its size. AA is the biggest, then AB, BB and so on. A lot of people think that AA is the best coffee in Kenya, but it depends mostly on the quality of the coffee itself. This coffee has undergone the natural-process; the beans are harvested, immediately removed from the cherries, and washed to remove the excess pulp. This in turn has its effect on the flavours and aromas of the coffee. But you will read about that in just a moment.
Out of the Grey – Kenya AA: Opening the package.
The package of the Out of the Grey coffee is beige/brown and stuffed to the brim. The ziplock zipper and de-gassing valve make sure that the coffee stays fresh. As I look inside the colour and size of the beans are the first things that I notice. All the beans are evenly roasted and of the same size. When smelling the beans I can already smell a little bit of black tea on the nose. I chew on the crispy bean and a soft bitterness comes forth, the bitterness you find in cold tea. When grinding the coffee, a sweet fruity and floral scent comes off of the grind; this promises something. Lets brew!
Out of the Grey – Kenya AA: The Tasting.
Brewing this coffee was an easy task for me, I started with 16 grams and soon made my way up to 17.5 grams, 25 seconds and 30ml for my personal sweet spot. Once I pulled the handle the beige coffee dribbled into my cup and the scent of this coffee started to fill my nostrils. I smell the coffee first and get this faint blackcurrant jam and a more stronger floral note. The floral note made me think of spring flowers such as rhododendron and even a hint of jasmine. I take a sip and immediately slurp in oxygen as well. The crema and coffee release their aromas and flavours and I taste the blackcurrant together with raisins and tea on my palette. As I swirl the coffee in my mouth and slurp some more oxygen inside, a sweet jasmine comes through in the back. After swallowing the coffee I breathe back into my mouth and taste fennel and menthol for a bit. A surprising taste that is definitely there down on the side of my tongue. The aftertaste holds a bit of cocoa and blackcurrant as it lingers on and on and on.
The most beautiful aspect of this coffee is most surely the acidity and mouthfeel. The acidity is high, but it suits the coffee so incredibly well. It is slightly bright and slightly sparkly in the tongue. Because of the acidity I could not drink more that two or three cups at a time, but I could not wait to get my hands on the coffee soon after. The velvety mouthfeel completes the experience and makes this a very nice espresso roast coffee.
As a cappuccino I must say that although it was not a bad combination, I personally prefer a coffee that has less acidity than this Kenya AA. It is a personal note though.
Out of the Grey – Kenya AA: The Verdict
I drink coffee with many different brewing methods and a good Kenya is in my top three list at any given day. This Espresso roast Kenya AA does the job very well and is a real treat to drink. Although you will not find a tomato aspect to this coffee (something I just love in a Kenya on a pour-over), there are other beautiful notes to be found. Blackcurrant and black tea on the nose. Fennel, menthol and floral notes that tease your palette. And then there is the acidity; its high, sparkly and bright and will stimulate your tongue just perfectly. Combine these aromas and flavours with a perfect acidity and mouthfeel, and you have got yourself a very nice espresso!
Click on the link below to go to the Out of the Grey page and get yourself a bag of Kenya AA:
