It’s an intense, juicy, and highly expressive Kenyan coffee. In the cup, it opens with an explosion of ripe tropical fruit, bringing juiciness and a bright, almost citrus-like acidity reminiscent of fresh lime. As it cools, sweeter notes of strawberry jam emerge, with a deep, enveloping sweetness. The profile is balanced by a backdrop of cacao nibs that adds structure, leading to a long, complex, and very elegant finish.
History
Plateau AB comes from Great Rift Coffee, a project based in Usain Gishu in western Kenya, at 1,900 meters above sea level. It’s a young farm within the Kenyan coffee landscape, but with a very clear vision: to build a more transparent, innovative, and sustainable model in a sector historically dominated by large commercial structures.
Behind the project is Zakiya-Rose Muge, who left her job in the UK healthcare system during the pandemic to travel to Kenya — and ended up staying to lead the transformation of her family’s project. What began as a dry mill in Eldoret, started by her father after returning to the country, gradually evolved into an integrated operation that now combines farming, processing, and direct export. It hasn’t been an easy path: competing with multinationals within Kenya’s coffee system means navigating structural inequalities and a lack of transparency.
Rather than trying to replicate the classic profiles of central regions like Nyeri or Meru, Great Rift chose to differentiate itself. With young trees and in an area better known for tea than coffee, they focused on process experimentation and adding value at origin. This open mindset has allowed them to develop more expressive and contemporary profiles, like this naturally processed anaerobic lot.
Beyond the work on the farm, the project collaborates with a network of producers and regularly organizes training sessions, particularly focused on post-harvest management — recognizing that this is where cup quality is truly defined. Great Rift doesn’t just aim to produce coffee, but to create a more accessible model for new generations and for women producers, who have historically been underrepresented in decision-making within the sector.
Plateau AB, in many ways, reflects this new chapter of Kenyan coffee: rooted in origin, yet willing to reinterpret it.
Varietal and process
Batian is a variety developed in Kenya by the Coffee Research Institute with the goal of combining resistance to diseases such as coffee leaf rust and coffee berry disease with high cup quality potential. It is a relatively recent addition to the Kenyan coffee landscape, designed to better adapt to current growing conditions without sacrificing sensory complexity.
Grown at high altitudes — in this case at 1,900 meters — Batian can express vibrant, structured profiles with defined acidity and good aromatic intensity. It retains the bright character associated with Kenyan coffees, but with a slightly more modern and versatile expression in roasting.
Grade: AB
The AB classification refers to bean size, slightly smaller than AA but equally valued for its balance and uniformity. It typically offers a very consistent roast performance and a well-structured cup.
In this lot, the cherries were processed as a natural with anaerobic fermentation. This means the cherries ferment in an oxygen-free environment before drying, intensifying aromatic expression and enhancing the fruit-forward character.
The result is a more concentrated and expressive cup, where red fruits appear ripe and well-defined, accompanied by pronounced sweetness reminiscent of caramel or candied raspberry, with a chocolatey backdrop that adds depth and balance.
RECIPE
Use a 17 g dose to extract 50 g of espresso in the cup in 27 seconds.
