Maybe it’s just me, but Kenyan coffee season always brings a little extra excitement. You can smell it in the whole building when the first fresh samples arrive—that vibrant fruit juice aroma filling the lab as the beans get roasted and ground for cupping.
Like any origin, some years are good, some years are extraordinary—and then there are those rare seasons when everything just aligns. 2025 is shaping up to be one of those years. The coffees are crazy intense, bursting with complexity, and easier than usual to find at the highest scoring levels.
The reason? Perfect weather. Maturation conditions were spot on, with ideal pre-harvest rains. Almost 60% of the harvest is AA grade, which doesn’t just mean larger beans—it also signals excellent density, clarity, and overall cup quality.
Another big win? An early peak. We started seeing stunning coffees as early as December, and we already have shipments on the way. This season, we’re locking in 8+ containers of outstanding AA and AB lots from some of Kenya’s top-performing coops—over half of which are already contracted. And we’re still buying.
Origin updates: on the ground
I was just in Kenya at the end of January, meeting with suppliers and cupping for early contracts. With the season peaking early, we were already deep into samples before I even arrived. The first cuppings confirmed what we had hoped—this year is exceptional.
Over the years, we’ve built strong calibration with local cuppers, ensuring the flavor profiling matches what we’re looking for at Nordic. For example, in the Ibero Kenya lab, they adjust cupping parameters specifically for our selections. This means better pre-screening at origin, reducing the number of samples sent to Norway, and ensuring we only cup coffees that already fit our target profile.
Our approach with export partners is highly structured:
- We prioritize specific cooperatives and washing stations that consistently deliver quality.
- We focus on key regions and cup profiles with strong potential.
- We stay open to discovering new factories and washing stations if they perform well.
This early planning ensures exporters can start pre-screening coffees as soon as harvest begins, selecting the best before they even hit the market.
Cupping 500+ coffees in 5 days
A post-harvest trip to Kenya means one thing: cupping, cupping, and more cupping. During my visit, I cupped through 500 coffees in five days, narrowing down selections for purchase.
Every day starts with a lineup of AA and AB coffees from key cooperatives, particularly from washing stations we have worked with for years. The focus is to assess how each cooperative is performing in the current season and decide which lots to pursue at auction. Additional tables include coffees from exporter inventories, direct purchase options, and experimental lots, allowing us to explore new possibilities and verify consistency across different grades.
For two days, we repeat the process with different suppliers. By mid-week, we start narrowing down selections, and by the final two days, we’re re-cupping for final contracting and approval.
At this stage, the coffee is fresh—really fresh. One of the biggest challenges with fresh Kenyan coffee is that acidity can be overwhelming, and flavors can be muted. Some lots may impress now but won’t hold up over time, while others will develop beautifully after resting. Knowing how to navigate this is key—it’s about identifying coffees that will stand out when they land in Europe in a few months.
The bigger picture
Even after more than a decade of visiting Kenya, I always take time to talk to producers, exporters, and industry insiders to get a pulse on the broader landscape.
Kenya is always evolving—politically, structurally, and in how the coffee sector operates. Some say production is declining, others argue quality isn’t what it used to be. But is that really the full story?
Production trends: what’s really happening?
Kenya is the 17th largest Arabica producer globally, with 2023/24 exports at around 690,000 bags—more than Rwanda, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Bolivia.
But when it comes to revenue, Kenya ranks 10th globally. Why? Because quality remains high, demand is strong, and prices hold up.
However, there are shifts in where coffee is grown:
- Estate coffee near Nairobi is disappearing. With high land prices, many farms are being sold for real estate and industrial development.
- Central Kenya (Mount Kenya region) remains strong. Counties like Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Meru, and Embu continue to produce top-quality coffee, and in some areas, yields are actually increasing due to better farm management.
- Western Kenya (Mount Elgon) and Machakos in the south are expanding. New plantings and smallholder-driven growth are starting to add volume in these regions.
The insiders and local experts we talk to expect an increase in production by 15% for the 2024/25 crop.
Naturals in Kenya
One question that continues to come up is: Why don’t we see more high-end naturals from Kenya? The answer lies in both market structure and risk.
Kenya has perfected the washed processing method, producing some of the most vibrant and structured coffees in the world. There is little incentive to take the risk on naturals when washed coffees already fetch strong prices. If a natural coffee doesn’t hit the quality mark, there’s no fallback market—unlike Ethiopia, where naturals can be graded and sold across multiple price levels.
There was some momentum toward more natural processing before the 2023/24 reforms, but with larger exporters pulling back due to uncertainty, the development of Kenyan naturals has slowed. That said, the potential is there. With the right fermentation and drying protocols, Kenya could eventually produce some of the most complex naturals in the world.
For now, though, the focus remains on maintaining the quality and consistency of the country’s washed coffees.
What’s our value proposition?
We’ve spent the last decade building a thorough sourcing strategy in Kenya—one that gives us access to some of the best coffees in the country.
- We source from cooperatives that deliver maximum returns to farmers.
- We have a first-mover advantage. Our close exporter relationships mean we get early access to the best coffees.
- We cover a full range of flavor profiles. Whether you’re after stone fruit, syrupy blackcurrant, or bright florals with rhubarb and rosehip—we have it.
- We have priority access. Our long-standing partnerships with exporters give us first right of refusal on top lots.
- We’ve fine-tuned calibration with local cuppers. We cup together every season, ensuring consistency and quality at origin before samples reach Norway.
And most importantly—our experience in cupping at scale means we know what will hold up post-shipment.
Cupping hundreds of cups of high-acidity, fresh Kenyans is intense. It’s easy to get lost. But our calibrated approach allows us to pinpoint the best coffees—even when they’re still super fresh.
Our exporters know our standards—humidity, water activity, grading, and final sorting are all optimized to shorten lead times and ensure consistency from mill to shipment.
2025 is a year to watch
Kenya’s coffee landscape is changing, but great coffee is still everywhere—if you know where to look.
This season, the quality is outstanding, the structure is more competitive, and we’re seeing more consistent, high-scoring coffees than in recent years.
If you’re after juicy, intense, fruit-forward coffees—this is the year to jump in. We’ve got 7+ containers of AAs and ABs locked in, with more on the way. If you want in, let’s talk.
All photographs used for this article have been taken by Jake Green.
