Turning back the clock to yesterday, we drove around three hours from Nairobi to a coffee producing area called Kirinyaga. It’s a famous origin that needs no explanation. After arriving at Karani Factory, the host explained to us how the wet mill works. Later on, we visited farmers in the area. The harvesting season just kicked off in Kenya. And the wet mill also came into operation today. The number of farmers bringing coffee here, and the amount of coffee brought in, are still low. But there was energy. I was thrilled to see such a sight for the first time on this trip. 

We went on to visit farmers. They were happy to show us how they harvested coffee, and even let us try picking, too. I burst into a smile, enjoying this authentic coffee experience.

I had many questions in my head as I headed for a cupping at the Rockbern office. The coffees on the table were an early crop, but they also prepared a new crop from a familiar factory. After the cupping, we had a discussion with Peter. He gave straightforward answers to my questions, which helped me put together pieces of a puzzle, and I started to see an overall picture. We left the office and drove back. Inside the car, too, we discussed the issues facing the Kenyan specialty coffee scene and some positive aspects.

The theme of this trip for me was to find out where the differences between Kenyan and Tanzanian coffee come from.

I assume it comes down to the soil first and foremost, followed by climate and water. But this trip was such a rare opportunity to experience these differences firsthand back-to-back.

We are in the capital Nairobi. It’s one of the major cities in East Africa. Unlike Tanzania, Nairobi is more urban. We are staying in the city’s downtown area, a relatively short drive from the airport. This area is a few-hour drive away from Central, a major coffee origin at the foot of Mount Kenya. A good place to be for roasters like us. We visited Kenyacof, an exporter. Coffee County bought their Limwe AA, which we are serving at our store now. They told us about coffee distribution in Kenya. And we went on to visit their dry mill, but the overall picture remained too complex to understand. What I did understand is that coffee is graded on 12 levels here, in addition to the familiar AA, AB, PB, Natural grades, which are often seen in Japan.

I thought I would be able to discover a lot of outstanding coffees in Kenya, perhaps just as you would expect. But good coffee is actually hard to come by in this country, and high quality coffee is far and few between, like a tip of a pyramid. We visited local coffee shops, too. And there, pieces of my questions about coffee quality fell into place like a puzzle, shedding some light on the overall picture.

We are going to visit Peter of Rockbern today, another curator. I’m expecting to hear a story from another perspective and get more pieces of a puzzle.

By the way, the Limwe AA we are serving at our store is unique and really delicious. And now I can understand just how rare that coffee is. Please come and give it a try.

The sun scorches us during the day, but the wind is nice and crisp. Actually, it gets cold from evening to morning. The red soil and the scale of the land are overwhelming, but people are really cheerful and kind.

I immediately felt that way after I stepped out of the plane. An immigration officer started talking to me with a smile, and the same goes for the people sorting out luggage at the airport. “You’ll see a lot of Toyotas!” one of them told me. People greet us with “Jambo!” as we passed them by on the street. Children are amiable and not at all blase. I wondered what makes them this way, and tried to think of differences from Ethiopia, where I’ve visited several times. But I couldn’t come up with a clear answer.

Now, about coffee. Thanks to Leon of Acacia Hills and everyone’s great hospitality and warm affection, we are spending a really good time here. I was able to discover an amazing coffee during a cupping on Day 2. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I gave them feedback, both good and not good. I could see his sincerity and kindness. He shared with us his concerns. It was such a great time because we realized our visit was meaningful.

Today, we are going to cup lots from neighboring farms partnering with Leon. I’m looking forward to tasting them because I visited some of the farms. After a full immersion in Tanzania, we’ll head to Kenya tomorrow morning. I wonder what land and people are awaiting us there.