This Kenya Kamoko AA from the Chinese roaster Big Sur isn’t the kind of coffee that reveals everything right from the first sip. When hot, it’s rather unassuming and light, with subtle lemon zest and fresh citrus acidity. As soon as it cools down a bit, it really starts to shine. Juicy raspberries, sweet black currants, and plums come to the forefront, and the body rounds out to a slightly syrupy texture. Once it’s completely cooled, the sweetness recedes slightly, giving way to a lively acidity and the tartness of berry fruits.
The beans come from the Othaya area in Kenya’s Nyeri region, one of the country’s most famous coffee-growing areas. The coffee was grown here at an elevation of 1,800–1,850 meters above sea level, and the producer of this lot is Kamoko FCS, which is part of the Othaya Farmers’ Cooperative Society. The cooperative brings together 19 smaller processing stations in the Othaya area, and Kamoko itself has around 1, 500 members who grow coffee on nearby farms. This lot consists of two traditional Kenyan varieties, SL28 and SL34, which have been grown in the country for decades and are closely associated with the typical profile of Kenyan specialty coffee. It is graded AA, the designation used in Kenya for larger beans. This specific lot is labeled 18SM0092AA and was harvested in January 2026.
The coffee was processed using the washed method, in which most of the pulp is removed from the beans before drying. Compared to natural processing, this usually results in a cleaner and more distinct flavor profile, in which the acidity and the bean’s inherent character stand out more. In the case of Kamoko, black currants, raspberries, and other dark fruits take center stage, while sweet plum rounds out the entire profile and pleasantly keeps its juiciness in check.
- Producer / Farmer: Kamoko FCS
- Processing station: Kamoko Factory
- Elevation: 1,800–1,850 m above sea level
- Harvest: January 2026