Batian Coffee Beans

Batian is a composite hybrid released by Kenya's Coffee Research Institute in 2010, bred from fifth-generation selections within the Ruiru 11 programme. Its genetic base draws on SL28, SL34, Sudan Rume, and Timor Hybrid, which gives it strong resistance to both coffee leaf rust and coffee berry disease — the two diseases that have caused the most damage to Kenyan production over the past century.

The breeding goal was to close the cup quality gap between disease-resistant varieties and the celebrated SL selections, and at higher elevations with careful processing, Batian delivers: bright acidity, complex fruit, good body, and a clean finish. It has also found notable success in Bolivia, where producers including the Rodríguez family have used it in Cup of Excellence lots processed with carbonic maceration and natural lactic fermentation.

Read more: Our Batian varietal guide · SL-28 · SL-34 · All varietal guides