Why Kenya coffee is the non plus ultra

Non Plus Ultra means "no further" in Latin, "nothing goes beyond that", i.e. unsurpassable, the best.

Does such a coffee exist? Well, first of all, there isn't just one coffee or one coffee tree that only has sacred beans. However, it is crucial where the tree grows and what the climatic conditions are like.

It is true that the earth and the environment contribute significantly to the quality of the coffee beans.

Why is Kenya coffee at an advantage in this regard? Well, in Kenya there is what is called the Rift Valley. This is a mountain range that was formed about 30 million years ago and runs from Ethiopia to Mozambique and along which are the two highest mountains in Africa, Mount Kenya with 5199 m and Kilimanjaro with 5895 m on the border of Kenya and Tanzania.

The volcanic soil of the mountains on the outskirts of which the coffee-growing areas are located contains certain qualities that make the cultivation of cultural assets particularly productive. The equator, which runs through Kenya's mountains, provides the sun's energy that helps photosynthesis and plant development to thrive vigorously. The result is a distinctive taste and an intense yield. In this context, the volcanic earth results in a fine acidity, which is reflected in the fertility of the aromas. Fruity, but not sour or bitter-sour. This is the great strength of Kenyan coffee.

Our coffee dealer Mr Gitau has been active in the Kenyan coffee business for over 35 years. He was already a coffee trader when there were hardly any licenses in Kenya to trade in coffee. At our last meeting, he reported with satisfaction how a Japanese delegation carried out a blind tasting at an international coffee congress. The task was to compare Kenyan and Ethiopian coffees. Although one might think that the geography of these neighboring countries is the same, there is a difference in character. The Asian delegation chose Kenya coffee as the better one. I suspect that the proximity to the equator plays the decisive role and not just the continent. So the Kenyan coffee is the non plus ultra, the foam de la foam or the crème de la crème in the coffee scene.

Here in Germany, there is not the selection that the coffee deserves, especially because the focus in the specialty area is said to be on the fruitiness of the coffee cherry. Especially in this coffee culture sector, the brewing of the cup should give a fine acidity and not taste sour. So if you like specialty coffee and light roasts and want to experience the purity of coffee as a cherry, you should try more Kenyan varieties. It is our endeavor to offer you as diverse an insight as possible into the world of Kenyan coffee aromas, so that your palate and tongue are delighted.

The photos show a classic coffee tasting and we select our coffee for you together with our partner Mir Gitau in Kenya. As you can see, there are a lot of coffees that we were allowed to taste at the Kenyan coffee exchange.

The Kenyan coffee exchange is the second largest in the world, after the New York coffee exchange. This is of course also due to the fact that the coffee from the surrounding East African growing countries of Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia is also traded here. An exciting insight into the Kenyan coffee world from a retailer's perspective.

Now of course there are dramatic differences in Kenya coffee too, as mentioned at the beginning there is no sacred tree and the factors that make a good cup depend on the processing and roasting of the coffee.

However, compared to other varieties in the world, Kenyan coffee impresses with its fine acidity. With my first imported coffee from Kenya, the first sip was a real revelation. Not only was it slightly fruity, but you could almost taste the coffee as juice. The taste revelation when drinking cultural goods or tasting high-quality food is given when you simply taste it yourself and don't get it predefined, or when you have to work out which taste it really is. This is exactly the world that came over me and the roaster who roasted it for me back when I tasted my first Mr Gitau coffee. The best I've tried so far, the Non Plus Ultra, so far.

A small note: When I was living as a teenager in Kenya, I was not drinking coffee and therefore the claim of revelation is not a contradiction years later in Germany ;)