A new initiative in Kenya aims to create the country's first national coffee flavor atlas through a large-scale sensory evaluation event. The project will bring together 300 professional cuppers in Nairobi this month to analyze more than 500 coffee samples sourced from 34 counties across the nation.
The Kenya Coffee Flavor Map project is a collaboration between the Coffee Board of Kenya, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Kenya Coffee Platform. The stated goal is to systematically connect the sensory characteristics of Kenyan coffees with their specific geographic origins, varieties, and post-harvest processing methods. The data gathered will be used to build a comprehensive, publicly accessible resource scheduled for release in 2027.
This effort is intended to provide producers, traders, and buyers with a standardized reference for identifying and communicating regional flavor differences, ultimately supporting export market development. The project follows similar regional flavor mapping initiatives in other producing areas, such as China's Yunnan province, and complements global sensory tools like the SCA Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel. The completed atlas, including visual maps and a sensory database, will be available for free public use.