Introduction to the Origin, Development, History, and Culture of Rwanda Mushonyi Processing Station Washed Bourbon Specialty Coffee Beans

Exceptional Award Record

Mushonyi Processing Station's record is genuinely remarkable. Besides winning the Cup of Excellence championship in 2010, it took four placements in 2011 alone: champion, 12th place, 16th place, and 28th place.

Rwanda's Rising Specialty Coffee Scene

Rwanda is one of the fastest-developing specialty coffee countries in East Africa. Beyond the still-fresh memory of its tragic genocide, the quality of its specialty coffee has been improving at an impressive rate. This year we have cupped several Rwandan coffees with fresh textures and a very elegant, refined acidity.

Flavor Profile

Red apple, cherry, cinnamon, and honey, with excellent sweetness and balance. Cinnamon, almond, and chocolate in the aftertaste.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Dazhen Coffee FrontStreet Coffee
Ingredients: In-house roasted
Shelf life: 30 days
Net weight: 227g
Packaging: Bulk
Taste profile: Sweet coffee beans
Processing degree: Roasted coffee beans
Sugar content: Sugar-free
Origin: Rwanda
Coffee type: Other

Detailed Coffee Specifications

Rwanda West Province Rutsiro Mushonyi CWS Bourbon

Country: Rwanda

Region: Rutsiro Region, Western Province

Altitude: 1827 meters

Rainfall: >1500mm

Processing Method: Washed, dried on raised African beds

Variety: BM-139 (Bourbon)

Processing Station: Mushonyi Processing Station

Farm Owners: 1756 small-scale member farmers (each farmer cultivates approximately 253 trees)

Flavor: Red apple, cherry, cinnamon, honey

Processing Method

Like many African countries, Rwanda's coffee is produced mainly by smallholders. Each harvest season, farmers gather ripe cherries and bring them to the processing stations. First, hand sorting ensures no unripe or damaged fruit gets mixed in. Next, the skin is removed, followed by a 12-18 hour washed fermentation in a cool, low-temperature environment. Then the remaining mucilage is cleaned off thoroughly in washing channels.

During drying on raised beds, station members turn the beans carefully by hand so that, under ample sun, the parchment coffee holds the right moisture level without drying unevenly, until moisture stabilizes below 14%.

Origin and Sourcing

We have previously introduced several specialty coffees from Rwanda's Nyamasheke region. This carefully selected Mushonyi comes from Rutsiro, north of Nyamasheke and also along Lake Kivu. High altitude, fertile volcanic soil, and an excellent climate combine to produce premium quality coffee.

We will keep exploring Rwanda, a true gem of a producing region. This batch is a direct trade lot bought straight from the processing station, featuring a fresh 2015 season harvest, roughly from June to September.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Rwanda's washed Bourbon has a clean, elegant character, and FrontStreet Coffee's washed lineup shares that clarity. The place to start is FrontStreet Coffee's Gediding cooperative Yirgacheffe. Because the farmers' plots are small, the cherries are pooled at a cooperative for processing, and Gediding's team has the skill to bring out a remarkably refined, clean cup: a medium-light roast shows jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity, then green tea and honey. It works as a pour-over, a cold brew, or an espresso.

For a more structured, fruit-driven washed coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Small Tomato is a standout. Kenya is known for its double washed processing, which repeats the washing, soaking, and rinsing steps to push the juice-like quality to the extreme. Grown in the Thika region at 1550-1750 meters from SL28 and SL34, it gives tomato, dark plum, pear, black plum, and brown sugar notes over a sweet-tart, juicy body.

And if the washed method itself interests you, note that it exists for practical reasons. Jamaica is one of the world's most famous coffee origins yet suffers from limited sunlight; its island climate means shorter days than most origins, so washing — removing skin, pulp, and mucilage before drying — was developed to reduce the moisture wrapped around the bean and shorten drying time while lowering the risk of spoilage. That is part of why FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 is so clean, with hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel in perfect balance and no single note overpowering the others.