The Story and Legend of Rwanda Mushonyi Washing Station Bourbon Premium Coffee Beans

Outstanding Achievements

Mushonyi Processing Station's award record is truly remarkable. In addition to winning the Cup of Excellence (COE) championship in 2010, it secured four placements in 2011 alone: championship, 12th place, 16th place and 28th place.

Rwanda: A Rising Star in East African Coffee

Rwanda can be described as a rapidly developing specialty coffee-producing country in East Africa. Beyond the lingering memory of the tragic Rwandan genocide, the quality of its specialty coffee has been improving fast. This year we have cupped several Rwandan coffees with fresh, clean textures and beautifully elegant acidity.

Brewing Method

Hand-pour Rwanda. 15g of coffee, medium-fine grind (Fujiyama serrated burr grinder setting 3.5), V60 dripper, water temperature 90-92°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second pre-infusion, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level drops to halfway, then slowly pour until reaching 225g total. Discard the tail. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Processing Method

Washed processing, raised African bed sun-drying.

Coffee Production in Rwanda

Like many African countries, Rwandan coffee is primarily produced by smallholders. Each harvest season, farmers gather ripe cherries and deliver them to processing stations. First, manual sorting ensures no unripe or damaged fruit is mixed in. Next the skin is removed, followed by a 12-18 hour washed fermentation in cool, low-temperature conditions. After fermentation the remaining pulp is cleaned away thoroughly in channels. During raised-bed drying, station members turn the beans by hand with careful attention, making sure the parchment beans neither lose moisture too fast nor dry unevenly under ample sunlight, until bean moisture stabilizes below 14%.

Mushonyi: A Gem from Rutsiro

We have previously introduced several specialty coffees from Rwanda's Nyamasheke region. This carefully selected Mushonyi comes from the Rutsiro region, north of Nyamasheke and likewise along Lake Kivu. High altitude, fertile volcanic soil and excellent climate create premium coffee quality, and we will continue to explore Rwanda's gem regions. This batch is a direct trade lot purchased from the processing station, the freshest harvest of the 2015 season (roughly June to September).

Coffee Details

Variety: BM-139 (Bourbon)

Processing Station: Mushonyi Processing Station

Producer: 1,756 member smallholders (each smallholder cultivates approximately 253 trees)

Flavor Notes: Red apple, cherry, cinnamon, honey

Cupping Notes

Red apple, cherry, cinnamon and honey, with excellent sweetness and balance, and a cinnamon, almond and chocolate finish.

Manufacturer: FrontStreet Coffee

Ingredients: In-house roasted

Shelf Life: 30 days

Net Weight: 227g

Packaging: Bulk

Taste Profile: Sweet coffee beans

Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans

Sugar Content: Sugar-free

Origin: Rwanda

Coffee Type: Other

Technical Specifications

Rwanda West Province Rutsiro Mushonyi CWS Bourbon

Country: Rwanda

Region: Western Province, Rutsiro

Altitude: 1,827 meters

Rainfall: >1500mm

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Rwanda's clean, elegant acidity is best appreciated on a pour-over, and the V60 is the perfect companion. Hario, the Japanese glassmaker founded in Tokyo in 1921, redesigned the V60's precursor in 2004 and released it a year later, naming it for its 60° cone and V shape. The cone forces water to the center before it drips through, lengthening contact between water and grounds, while the single large hole lets the flow run free, so the brewer's control shows directly in the cup. That fast, clean extraction is exactly what a washed Rwandan coffee like this Mushonyi wants.

For beans that reward a V60, FrontStreet Coffee recommends our Yirgacheffe Gotiti, with its citrus, berry and green-tea notes, and our Hambella Flower Queen, whose tropical aromas of strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit and lychee come with vivid sweetness and almost no bitterness. Both sit comfortably at the light end of the roast scale, where the V60's clarity and lively acidity shine. If you prefer an even brighter, more structured cup, our Kenya Little Tomato, a washed Kenyan from the Sika region grown at 1,550-1,750 meters from SL28 and SL34 with a 72-hour double washed fermentation, brings cherry-tomato and smoked-plum acidity with a juicy, layered finish.