Kenya Embu – Land and Water Coffee

Land and Water Coffee is a small roaster based out of Santa Rosa, California. Their name comes from the idea that land and water are used to grow the tree that produces the coffee cherry that eventually leads to your cup of coffee and supports their overall seed to cup philosophy. I recently tried their Kenya Embu, which is a balanced and unique Kenyan coffee from the Embu region at the foothills of Mount Kenya.

The coffee began with a layered, complex fragrance of a variety of different scents. I smelled berry, lemon, almonds and tropical fruit all mixed together in a really unique combination. As I began sipping the coffee, I tasted raisins, apricots and a mild lemon citrus. The coffee had a medium body, mild acidity, balanced sweetness and smooth, quick finish. It was quite unique from “typical” Kenyan coffees, which tend to be bright, complex, fruit-forward and intense. This coffee in contrast was quite different and was much more approachable and balanced.

The Bottom Line

If you tried this coffee looking for a “typical” Kenyan coffee, I think you may be a bit disappointed because it breaks the mold of what you’d generally expect. That said, it was still an incredibly tasty coffee and would be a great option for someone who prefers more balanced, approachable Central/South American coffees and wants to branch out a bit to more African coffees.