FUGLEN COFFEE AA BARIKONGO / KENYA

Late February is the middle of Kenya’s buying season, when the main crops have been harvested and refined. Roasters and importers come from all over the world to buy coffee. Although the number of samples is slightly smaller than last year, there are still more than 100 types of coffee to choose from.

Among them, the coffee from the Barikongo factory, which I came into contact with for the first time, was particularly impressive. From the moment I cupped it, the rich flavor left a deep impression on me. It is characterized by intense fruitiness and firm sweetness, with fresh red fruit flavors reminiscent of currants and acerola, as well as a tea aroma that spreads in the mouth. Coffee with a bright Kenyan flavour.

The coffee cherries are carefully hand-picked and delivered directly to the wet grinder or collection point. There, they are transferred to sorting mats or tables to remove unripe or damaged cherries. Afterwards, only the ripe cherries are weighed and refining begins.

First, place the coffee cherries in the jar and remove the unripe cherries floating on top. Next, use a disc pulper to remove the pulp, leaving behind the parchment that protects the green coffee beans. After the pulp is removed, the beans are sorted by weight using water to separate high-quality, dense beans from light, low-quality beans.

This is followed by an overnight dry fermentation, which breaks down the sugar (mucilage) clinging to the surface of the parchment and washes it away. Canals are then used to further sort the coffee beans (heavier beans that sink to the bottom of the canal are considered taller and sweeter). Then soak in water for 24 hours. This process is said to enhance the proteins and amino acids in the coffee beans, thereby adding acidity complexity and clarity in the cup.

After steeping, the coffee is spread out on a raised drying rack (also called an african bed) and stirred constantly to ensure even drying. During this process, any defective coffee beans are identified and removed. Time on the drying table varies depending on climate, ambient temperature and throughput and may take 1-3 weeks to reach the target moisture content of 11-12%.

AA Barikongo is Kenya’s first release of the year, with more to come over the summer, so stay tuned.