Kenya launches national coffee flavour atlas
The Kenya Coffee Flavour Map, which is expected to publish its findings in 2027, will draw on about 500 coffee samples collected from 34 coffee-growing counties across the countr
NAIROBI, November 3, 2026 — Kenya is developing a national coffee flavour atlas to document the country’s diverse coffee profiles and link their sensory characteristics to specific growing regions, coffee varieties and production practices.
The Kenya Coffee Flavour Map, which is expected to publish its findings in 2027, will draw on about 500 coffee samples collected from 34 coffee-growing counties across the country.
The initiative brings together coffee producers, co-operatives, researchers and sensory professionals, with Kenyan and international coffee cuppers conducting blind sensory evaluations of the samples.
The findings will be made freely available to industry stakeholders, providing producers, exporters, buyers, roasters and educators with a common reference for understanding and communicating the distinctive characteristics of coffee from different parts of Kenya.
Each sample will be evaluated by multiple cuppers through blind tastings, generating detailed tasting notes that will be linked to geographic, environmental and production data collected from participating farms and co-operatives.
The completed atlas is expected to include regional flavour profiles, visual maps and a searchable sensory database, creating a national record of Kenya’s coffee diversity beyond the origins and flavour descriptions that are already widely recognised.
Marty Pollack, co-founder of Torch Coffee, said the project would strengthen collaboration between Kenyan coffee professionals and international sensory experts while creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing about the country’s coffees.
The initiative is supported by the Government of Kenya, the Coffee Board of Kenya, the Food and Agriculture Organisation [FAO] in Kenya, the Kenya Coffee Platform and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation [UNIDO].
The project will feature at the Kenya Coffee Flavour & Origin Expo, scheduled for November 14 to 16 in Nairobi.
The expo will include professional cupping sessions, exhibitions, educational programmes and networking opportunities aimed at connecting Kenyan producers and co-operatives with international buyers, roasters and other industry stakeholders.
The development of the atlas comes amid growing interest in coffee consumption in Kenya. The number of coffee shops in the country increased from 231 in 2019 to 791 in 2023, according to the information provided for the initiative.
Organisers say the atlas will help industry players better understand differences between coffee-growing regions and communicate the unique qualities of their coffees in domestic and international markets.
The project ultimately seeks to establish a comprehensive and accessible national reference for Kenya’s regional coffee flavour characteristics while making the resulting data available to participants across the coffee value chain.
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