AvailableSpecialty
Kenya · Kirinyaga
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed with soak
- Grade
- AB
- Screen
- 15/16
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 150 bags
Plum · Tomato leaf · Black tea
Kenya · Grade
Kenya PB (Peaberry)
Kenyan peaberry is a small, well-executed separation from the same coffee as the flat-bean grades. This page covers what that means practically.
- Species
- Arabica
- Preparation
- Fully washed with soak · Mbuni (natural)
- Harvest
- Main crop October–December; early (fly) crop May–July
Quick answer
Kenya PB is the peaberry separation — single rounded seeds that form when only one of the two ovules in a cherry develops. It is separated on slotted screens and is a shape class, not a quality class. The reason to buy it separately is that it roasts differently.
Contract on: region · grade · screen · process · crop · moisture · defect tolerance · cup approval.
Request current kenya pb (peaberry)What a peaberry is
A normal cherry contains two seeds with flat facing sides. When only one of the two ovules develops, the single seed grows into the available space and takes a rounded form. It occurs naturally in a small proportion of every harvest, at every origin.
It is not a variety, not a defect, and not a signal about the tree or the farm. See Tanzania peaberry for the fuller treatment of the separation and the mythology around it.
The Kenyan case specifically
Kenyan PB carries the same factory and outturn identity as the flat-bean grades from the same parcel, which means a Kenyan peaberry is traceable to exactly the same cherry as the AA and AB alongside it. That is unusual — at many origins peaberry is pooled across parcels.
Kenyan PB also benefits from the density of the underlying coffee. Peaberries are denser than flat beans to begin with, and Kenyan Arabica is dense to begin with, so Kenyan PB sits at the higher end of what a roaster will encounter.
Roasting implications
- Higher bulk density — the same volume weighs more, which affects charge calculations.
- Rounded geometry — different surface-area-to-mass ratio, so heat enters differently from a flat bean.
- Bed behaviour — peaberries roll rather than presenting flat faces, which changes movement in the drum.
- Shape uniformity — an inherently uniform batch, which is an advantage on a tight profile.
Not a concentration effect
The claim that a single seed concentrates the flavour of two is not supported — the peaberry is not larger in total mass than the pair it replaces. Buy Kenyan PB because it roasts uniformly and because you like the specific lot.
Availability
- Typical parcel
- Small — a fraction of any outturn
- Screen
- Own PB screen run
- Traceability
- Factory and outturn, as for the flat-bean grades
- Processing
- Fully washed with soak
- Packaging
- 60 kg jute with hermetic liner
Kenya PB enquiries
Peaberry parcels are small, so early confirmation matters. Tell us the region and volume.
Request Current Crop OfferLast reviewed 2 min read
The distinction that matters
What this grade does not tell you
A grade is a preparation class. Everything below is a separate contract field, and every one of them moves independently of the grade name.
What it does fix
Kenya PB (Peaberry) encodes
- Bean size, as the screen the parcel is retained on
- Bean shape, for the PB separation
- Density, for the TT and T separations
- Whether the coffee is washed or Mbuni (dried whole cherry)
Use the grade to define the physical deliverable. Use the approved sample to define the cup. Both belong in the contract.
What it does not
Specify these separately
- Cup qualityTwo lots at the same grade from the same mill can cup several points apart. Only cupping tells you.
- Defect countA separate count on a defined sample, against a weighting table that differs by origin.
- MoistureA range plus the measurement method. Two meters on one parcel routinely disagree.
- Crop yearNothing in a grade name distinguishes current crop from a parcel that has been in store a year.
- DensityBulk density in g/L, which drives charge temperature and roast planning.
- Water activityStorage stability. Related to moisture but not derivable from it.
- TraceabilityCountry, station or day lot are different claims. A grade fixes none of them.
- Processing methodWashed, natural and honey can all carry the same grade at most origins.
Availability
Current Kenya PB (Peaberry)
Availability moves with the harvest, with milling and with prior commitments. Everything here is confirmed against the current crop on enquiry.
LimitedSpecialty
Kenya · Nyeri
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed with soak
- Grade
- AA
- Screen
- 17/18
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 80 bags
Blackcurrant · Grapefruit · Cane sugar
LimitedSpecialty
Kenya · Murang’a
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed with soak
- Grade
- PB
- Screen
- PB
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 60 bags
Redcurrant · Muscovado · Bergamot
Quality
Quality evaluation
Every parcel runs the same sequence before it is offered and again before it is loaded. What is reported for a given lot depends on what the buyer specifies.
- 01Physical gradePreparation class against the origin’s own system
- 02Screen distributionRetention plus the percentage passing
- 03Defect analysisFull defects per 300 g on a stated weighting table
- 04MoistureRange plus the measurement method and instrument
- 05Water activityWhere the buyer specifies it, for storage stability
- 06DensityBulk density in g/L, for roast planning
- 07Sample roastTo a cupping profile, not a commercial roast
- 08CuppingMultiple cups, against the approved sample
- 09Buyer approvalThe retained sample the shipment is measured against
Crop
Kenya crop calendar
Flowering, harvest, processing, milling and the export window. Regional cycles differ, so this is not one universal season.
Main crop — central highlands and Mount Kenya
Crop year commonly quoted October–September
Stage
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
FloweringLong rains
Cherry development
Harvest
Processing & drying
Dry milling & grading
Main export window
- Flowering: Feb–Apr. Long rains
- Cherry development: Apr–Sep
- Harvest: Oct–Dec
- Processing & drying: Oct–Jan
- Dry milling & grading: Nov–Feb
- Main export window: Dec–Jun
The main crop carries the majority of volume and the tightest factory separations.
Early / fly crop
Crop year commonly quoted October–September
Stage
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
FloweringShort rains
Cherry development
Harvest
Processing & drying
Dry milling & grading
Main export window
- Flowering: Oct–Nov. Short rains
- Cherry development: Nov–Apr
- Harvest: May–Jul
- Processing & drying: May–Aug
- Dry milling & grading: Jun–Sep
- Main export window: Jul–Oct
Smaller and more variable than the main crop; useful for bridging supply mid-year.
Export
Packing and export
- Ports of loading
- Mombasa
- Bag standard
- 60 kg jute; GrainPro or equivalent liners common on specialty lots
- Export window
- December–June for main crop, with early-crop shipments from August
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF
Compare
Against the other East African origins
Grade designations do not translate between origins, and harvest windows barely overlap. This is how the region compares at a glance.
| Origin | Species | Main preparation | Representative grades | Harvest | Ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanzania | Arabica · Robusta | Fully washed · Natural | AA · A · AB · B | June–October in the south; July–December in the north | Dar es Salaam · Tanga |
| Uganda | Robusta · Arabica | Natural (Robusta) · Washed Arabica (WUGAR) | Screen 18 · Screen 17 · Screen 15 · FAQ | Robusta main crop November–February with a fly crop April–July; Elgon Arabica October–February | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Ethiopia | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (sun-dried) | Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3 · Grade 4 | October–January, varying by region and altitude | Djibouti (primary transit port) |
| Rwanda | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (growing) | Grade 1 (fully washed) · Grade 2 · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July, with the peak in April and May | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Burundi | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Natural (limited) | Grade A · Grade B · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July | Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) · Mombasa (Northern Corridor) |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is Kenya PB?
The peaberry separation from a Kenyan Arabica outturn — single rounded seeds formed when only one of the two ovules in a cherry develops, separated on slotted screens.
Does Kenyan peaberry taste different from Kenyan AA?
It comes from the same cherry and processing, so the underlying coffee is the same. Differences in the cup usually come from how the shape and density change the roast rather than from anything intrinsic to the seed.
How much Kenyan peaberry is available?
Small quantities — peaberry is a small proportion of any harvest, so parcels are naturally limited.
Request an offer
Tell us the Kenya coffee you need
Region, process, grade, screen, moisture, defect tolerance, crop year, packaging and destination. Send what you know and we will confirm what Kenya realistically supports for the current crop.