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Starbucks Rwanda Coffee Bean Story Origin Flavor Characteristics Rwanda Gashaka Coffee Bean Processing Method

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional barista communication please follow Coffee House (WeChat public account cafe_style) Rwanda West Province Mashesha CWS Mutsuyu processing plant collaborative batch natural bourbon variety Rwanda West Province Mashesha CWS Bourbon Natural Country: Rwanda Region: West Province Processing Plant: Mashesha CWS Mutsuyu

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Among the high-altitude coffee-producing countries in Africa, besides the well-known Ethiopia, another country has gradually emerged in people's视野 - Rwanda, located in central Africa. FrontStreet Coffee recently launched a washed bourbon coffee bean from Rwanda. Speaking of bourbon, it was once introduced to Brazil and quickly spread throughout Latin America, but was soon replaced by other coffee varieties due to its weak disease resistance. Bourbon coffee beans from Latin America no longer have their original advantages. FrontStreet Coffee currently only imports two bourbon coffee beans from Brazil, which show relatively stable flavor profiles. However, due to the impact of the pandemic this year, FrontStreet Coffee will decide whether to continue stocking them based on actual production quality. Returning to Rwanda's bourbon coffee beans, before launching this coffee bean, FrontStreet Coffee procured samples from several producing regions for comparison and found that Rwanda's bourbon varieties perform quite consistently, truly living up to being one of the country's most extensively cultivated varieties.

Rwanda Coffee Development

Rwanda is located in central Africa and is a standard landlocked country, with all neighboring countries being major coffee-producing nations. In the early 20th century, Rwanda successively became a colony of Germany and Belgium, with coffee first introduced by German missionaries. During the colonial period, coffee production increased significantly, but the exploitation of labor, suppression of coffee crop prices, and high export taxes resulted in less than ideal coffee bean quality - a normal phenomenon in commercial coffee development at that time.

It wasn't until Rwanda's independence and the establishment of the first official coffee organization, OCIR, that attention gradually turned to coffee bean production. Rwanda's coffee production continued to grow from the 1960s to 1980s, reaching an unprecedented peak in 1986. It wasn't until the early 1990s when domestic political stability began to decline (Rwanda genocide) that the coffee industry stagnated.

Today, Rwanda has gradually regained its vitality. In terms of urban construction, security, people's friendliness, and cleanliness, it can be described as an "atypical" African country. Rwanda is currently recognized as the safest country in Africa. In the "2017 World's Safest Countries and Destinations" ranking, Rwanda ranked ninth among all cities worldwide, the only African country to rank in the top ten.

This year, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rwanda's coffee sales have undoubtedly been significantly affected. To help Rwandan coffee farmers overcome these difficulties, on May 14th, Alibaba's top livestreamer Wei Ya recommended Rwanda's Gorilla's coffee beans, selling a year's worth of sales in one second.

Rwanda Coffee Growing Environment

Known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills," Rwanda's territory is dominated by mountains and plateaus, with most coffee trees grown on mountains at altitudes between 1,700 and 2,000 meters. Most of Rwanda has a tropical highland climate and tropical savanna climate, which is mild and cool. There are approximately 33,000 hectares of coffee plantations, with 500,000 people engaged in coffee cultivation. Rwanda is one of the few countries in the world that can fully enjoy the harmony between soil, altitude, and climate. These unique growing conditions give Rwandan coffee beans a distinctive taste, with fresh fruit sweetness, floral fragrance, and black tea-like aftertaste.

Rwanda's coffee production model is based on smallholder farming rather than large-scale enterprises. While it may not match the assembly lines of large-scale enterprises, the smallholder production model allows for greater focus on coffee beans.

Rwanda Coffee Regions

Rwanda's Arabica coffee bean producing regions are mainly distributed in the southern and western parts. The Huye mountainous area and Nyamagabe region in the south, due to higher altitudes, produce coffee beans with floral and citrus flavors; while the Nyamasheke region on the western shore of Lake Kivu produces rich, aromatic, and juicy premium coffee. Although the flavor differences between regions are not significant, there are still distinctions upon careful tasting. People often ask FrontStreet Coffee how to distinguish between them. Flavor perception can seem quite mystical, but FrontStreet Coffee has undergone extensive flavor recognition training to distinguish coffee flavors from different regions - this requires time, effort, and persistence.

Rwanda Coffee Processing Methods

In 2000, having just experienced internal political turmoil, Rwanda sought to upgrade its coffee industry. Michigan State University led a collaboration that included Texas A&M University, the National University of Rwanda, and other institutions, with several researchers working together to assist Rwanda in upgrading its coffee industry. The project was abbreviated as PEARL (meaning "pearl" in Chinese, with the full English name being Partnership for Enhancing Agriculture in Rwanda through Linkages). The PEARL project aimed to promote improvements in both the quality and quantity of Rwandan coffee and help farmers achieve better incomes, creating a virtuous cycle. After the implementation of the PEARL project, Rwanda successively built 46 coffee washing stations, leading to significant growth in Rwanda's economy through the strong export of coffee beans. The PEARL project was also the largest and most comprehensive development plan implemented in Rwanda since its independence.

Therefore, Rwandan coffee beans currently mainly use the washed processing method. During the harvest season each year, farmers gather ripe coffee cherries at washing stations for processing. First, manual sorting ensures no unripe or damaged fruits are mixed in. Next, the fruit skin is removed, followed by a 12-18 hour washed fermentation process in a cool, low-temperature environment, where the adhering pectin is cleaned off in channels. During the drying process on racks, washing station members manually turn and carefully tend to the beans, ensuring that under sufficient sunlight, the parchment beans don't lose moisture or dry unevenly, until the moisture content of the green beans stabilizes below 14%.

Rwanda's COE Experience

In 2006, after the PEARL project, another program was implemented - the SPREAD program. In addition to continuously improving coffee production quality, it also began to focus on smallholders themselves, including their living environment, children's education, and local HIV/AIDS issues. Additionally, while marketing coffee beans, it also helped buyers and drinkers understand that they weren't just tasting a cup of coffee, but indirectly helping producers and their families. The SPREAD program cost $5 million and continued until 2012.

In 2008, during the SPREAD program, Rwanda hosted its first Cup of Excellence (COE) competition, which was also the first COE in African history. The championship coffee beans that year sold for $18 per pound, and by 2014, the price of Rwanda's COE championship beans had reached $37 per pound, showing increasing acceptance of Rwandan coffee beans by international buyers and the market.

Rwanda Coffee Bean Defects

Although Rwanda has performed well in COE competitions, it has twice exhibited potato flavor in the competition, which is a manifestation of green bean quality defects that directly leads to disqualification. There are various theories about the cause of potato flavor, possibly due to contamination from insects in the region. However, FrontStreet Coffee's recent batches of Rwandan coffee beans have not shown any potato flavor.

Rwanda Coffee and Starbucks

In the early stages of the SPREAD program in 2006, Starbucks began selling Rwandan coffee beans, including them in Starbucks' premium product line "Black Apron" (the English name is Black Apron, part of Starbucks' internal "Coffee Master" certification program - regular Starbucks employees wear green aprons, and only after passing numerous exams and competitions can they wear the symbolic black apron of honor). Starbucks selected bourbon coffee beans from two Rwandan washing stations (Sholi Cooperative Washing Station and Mushaka Cooperative Washing Station), naming them "Blue Bourbon" and selling them for $24 per pound.

Rwanda Gisheke

Coffee Region: Nyamasheke
Processing Station: Gisheke Processing Station
Growing Altitude: 1700 to 2000 meters
Processing Method: Washed Processing
Coffee Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai

Gisheke Washing Station

Fidele Ndagijmana is a young trader in the Nyamasheke region who saw the development potential of Rwandan specialty washed coffee. He applied to the government to build this processing station and successfully processed 170 tons of coffee cherries in the first year.

He uses the off-season to improve and expand production equipment, so that when the next harvest season arrives, he can provide better production machinery and superior storage environments. This outstanding trader also secured more land near the processing station for coffee cultivation.

Roasting Recommendations

Due to the delicate acidity and fresh flavors of Rwandan coffee, FrontStreet Coffee recommends medium-light roasting to highlight these characteristics.

Cupping Notes

Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: V60
Water Temperature: 90℃
Coffee Amount: 15 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: BG#5G (Chinese standard 20-mesh sieve with 80% pass-through rate)

Brewing Method

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, using 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. When pouring with a small circular flow to 125g, create a segment. Continue pouring to 225g when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed. Remove the dripper when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed (timing starts from the bloom). Extraction time is 2'00".

Flavor Description

Delicious citrus-sweet aroma, bright acidity, berries, apples, citrus. Mid-palate shows honey sweetness, with excellent sweetness and balance. Almond and chocolate aftertaste.

Rwanda Washed Bourbon

Region: Western Nyamasheke District
Altitude: 1700-2000m
Variety: Bourbon
Processing Method: Washed Processing

Roasting Recommendations

Due to the fresh acidity of Rwandan coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee recommends medium-light roasting to highlight this flavor. The darker the roast degree, the more the fruit acidity characteristics are lost.

Machine: Yangjia 800N, 550g green beans input

Bean Entry Temperature: 175℃
Yellowing Point: 5'55", 152.1℃
First Crack: 9'20", 183℃
Post-First Crack Development: 2'00", discharged at 194.4℃

When FrontStreet Coffee cupped this Rwandan washed coffee bean, the dry aroma showed distinct floral and berry notes, while the wet aroma had honey sweetness and nutty fragrance. The overall flavor profile exhibits bright acidity, citrus, berries, and nuts, with a caramel sweetness in the aftertaste.

Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: V60
Water Temperature: 90℃
Coffee Amount: 15 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: BG#5G (Chinese standard 20-mesh sieve with 80% pass-through rate)

Flavor Description

Floral and berry aroma, with distinct citrus, berries, and plum on entry. Mid-palate shows nuts, with caramel sweetness in the aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Rwanda Nyakarenzo

Region: Western Rusizi District
Washing Station: Nyakarenzo Washing Station
Altitude: 1695m
Variety: Bourbon
Processing Method: Washed Processing

Nyakarenzo Washing Station

The Nyakarenzo Washing Station is located in western Rwanda's Rusizi district, bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. The washing station is composed of over a thousand smallholders, three-quarters of whom are women.

Roasting Recommendations

Machine: Yangjia 800N, 550g green beans input

Bean Entry Temperature: 175℃
Yellowing Point: 6'00", 153.1℃
First Crack: 9'38", 184.1℃
Post-First Crack Development: 2'10", discharged at 194.5℃

When FrontStreet Coffee cupped this Rwandan Nyakarenzo coffee bean, the dry aroma showed distinct citrus and walnut notes, while the wet aroma had honey sweetness. The overall flavor profile exhibits bright acidity, citrus, raspberry, and honey sweetness, with walnut in the aftertaste.

Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: V60
Water Temperature: 90℃
Coffee Amount: 15 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: BG#5G (Chinese standard 20-mesh sieve with 80% pass-through rate)

Flavor Description

Citrus aroma with light floral notes, distinct citrus and raspberry on entry, bright acidity with rich juice sensation. Mid-palate shows honey sweetness, with walnut aroma in the aftertaste.