Kenya AA: The Prestige Grade

Kenya AA is the highest screen-size grade in Kenya's coffee classification system — beans that pass through screen size 17/64 inch or larger. The AA designation is internationally synonymous with premium Kenyan coffee: auction lots graded AA command the highest prices, attract the most competitive bidding from specialty importers, and are consistently described in the specialty press as the most intense and complex expression of Kenya's SL28 and SL34 varieties. The additional physical size of AA beans means more surface area for flavour development during roasting, and often — when variety and terroir quality are consistent — a more structured, fuller-bodied cup than the same factory's AB lots.

Ngurueri AA from Murue Farmers Cooperative represents this grade at its finest: a double-washed SL28/SL34 lot with the full Kenya profile — intense blackcurrant and tomato acidity, clean citrus, black tea depth, and the long, complex finish that makes Kenya coffee a benchmark experience for specialty buyers worldwide.

The Murue Cooperative

Murue Farmers Cooperative operates within Kenya's established cooperative coffee system — managing factory infrastructure, processing protocols, and export relationships for its smallholder member-farmers. Smallholder farms typically average half an acre to two acres with 200–500 coffee trees, delivering cherry daily to the Ngurueri factory during the October–December main harvest. Revenue is returned to members through the cooperative's annual "second payment" after export proceeds are received, providing a financial incentive for quality improvement that has driven consistent upgrades in cherry selection and factory management across Kenya's best cooperatives.

Brew Guide