Kenya - The finest coffee growing country in the world?

I always think that people who drink estate Kenya coffee are the kind of people who can afford and appreciate the good things in life. Fine wine, haut cuisine, fast cars etc.

I was reminded, however today in our shop that this isn't always the case. I served a man whose overalls were covered in paint and who clearly was a painter and decorator by trade. He bought a pound of our great Kenya AA estate coffee and asked for it to be ground for cafetiere (French press). It's the most expensive coffee we sell and rightly so.

I said to him that this was my favourite coffee and what a great taste and aroma it has. His eyes lit up and he couldn't agree more. It shows you, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

It reminded me of a time a number of years ago, when my Grandfather used to come to Jersey. He always demanded Kenya coffee and it always had to be made in one of those stove top espresso coffee makers (his was a well used copper coloured version that he had had for years).

The milk had to be warmed, and we always used these rediculously impractical blue china cups. We didn't always get it right, but my abiding memory was of one of those days when everything was perfect. The aroma was fantastic, and when we both tasted the coffee, silenence reigned and we just smiled at each other. Perfection!, I'm not sure what it was, but then again even after 15 years in the industry, a truly great cup of coffee is still just as illusive as ever and requires a life time of searching.

But to get back to Kenya coffee for a moment. The tags of AA, AB, C, Peaberry refer purely to the size of the coffee bean, with AA being the largest, and Peaberry having the form of a Pea.

All demonstrate the wonderfully unique acidity you get from a Kenya coffee. I always describe the taste and aroma as that of brambles; imagine tearing the leaf of a blackberry bush and you won't be far away. As the coffee gets colder in the cup, so this taste becomes more pronounced.

Having tasted many origins over the years, this classy coffee holds up extremely well year on year with its distinctive flavour. It is however not all of my staff's favourite, Anna wouldn't give it house room! But then again she's still young!

Kenya makes great filter or cafetiere coffee. However as I said earlier my Grandfather enjoyed it from a stove top espresso machine, and it also makes a good espresso, but beware, it bites!