What is the SL-34 coffee varietal?

SL-34 is a Kenyan cultivar selected by Scott Labouratories in the 1930s from French Mission Bourbon material - specifically trees at Loresho Estate in Kabete. Alongside SL-28, it forms the backbone of Kenya's specialty coffee identity.

A tall, vigorous plant well-adapted to Kenya's higher rainfall areas, SL-34 produces a cup broadly similar to SL-28 - bright acidity, pronounced sweetness, fruit complexity - but often described as slightly less intense and more overtly fruit-forward than SL-28's sharper, more wine-like quality. Where SL-28 is all angles and intensity, SL-34 tends to be rounder and more accessible.

Like SL-28, it's susceptible to leaf rust and requires disease management. The two varieties are frequently grown together on Kenyan farms and processed together at cooperatives - the combination producing the layered complexity that top Kenyan lots are known for. If you're drinking an exceptional Kenyan washed coffee, there's a good chance SL-28 and SL-34 are both in the cup.