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Today’s review comes from Volcanica Coffee, where we’ll specifically be looking at the Kenya AA.
This medium-dark roast coffee worked really nicely as espresso and moka, while the results were somewhat mixed for drip and immersion methods.
General Notes & Observations
Roast: Medium-Dark
Producers: Multiple
Country of Origin: Kenya
Region: Unknown
Variety: Unknown
Processing method: Washed
Growing altitude: Unknown
Roaster tasting notes: Raspberry, cranberry, fresh-cut redwood, alyssum-like flowers in aroma and cup
Coffee Concierge tasting notes: Dark Chocolate, cherry
Drip Coffee Experience
I mostly brewed the Kenya AA with my Behmor Connected auto drip coffee maker, but I also experimented a bit with pour-over methods like the Hario V60 and Chemex.
The results I had with drip were hit or miss.
My initial reaction was that the coffee was over-roasted, and would probably result in a final cup of coffee with little complexity.
Well, my prediction on the lack of complexity was right, but this didn’t mean it was a bad cup of coffee.
It was a balanced, drinkable cup of coffee in most cases, just not particularly interesting.
One of the beautiful things about Kenyan AA coffee is that it has intense raspberry notes when it’s at its best.
Unfortunately, these common Kenyan coffee flavor notes weren’t anywhere to be found when I brewed the coffee as drip.
To say otherwise would simply be dishonest of me.
Espresso Experience
Just like the Minos Moka Pot, the Kenya AA shined when it was brewed with my Flair Espresso Maker.
There was more acidity and overall complexity in the shots, allowing me to capture some cherry notes that were missing from the drip experience.
There was good consistency and overall forgiveness in all of the shots I pulled, and if I were ever to return to this coffee it would be exclusively for espresso-based drinks.
Moka Experience
I had somewhat mixed results when brewing the Kenya AA with my Minos Moka Pot.
The first time was actually the best time, with a final cup that was packed with a wide spectrum of flavor. Coupled with the syrupy body of this brew method, it was a cup of coffee I was eager to reproduce.
Unfortunately, the second time I brewed it (with the same parameters), I left it on the burner a little bit longer than I should have, leaving me with a cup of over-extracted mess.
Summary
Although I enjoyed the Kenya AA from Volcanica for the most part, it’s not really a coffee I would seek out again.
My biggest problem with it was the roast level itself.
To me, Kenya AA coffee should be roasted on a lighter spectrum in order to capture its full range of complexity, otherwise it’s easy to miss what makes it special.
If you haven’t had Kenya AA coffee before, you might want to give it your own experiment by ordering a bag of Volcanica’s Kenya AA, and then comparing it to a micro-roaster’s Kenya AA.
From there, you can decide what makes the most sense for you.
Alternatively, you can check out Volcanica’s Costa Rica Peaberry, which I personally enjoyed more than the Kenya AA.
Tried This Coffee?
If you’ve tried this coffee, let us know what you thought by leaving a review in the comments section below.
If you have questions, I’m also happy to try and answer them. Leave those below!