Rwanda Coffee|Rwanda Coffee Bean Characteristics|Nyakizu Cooperative Red Bourbon

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

Country: Rwanda

Region: Nyakizu region

Estate: Rwanda Nyakizu Farmers' Cooperative

Variety: Red Bourbon

Processing method: Washed

Drying method: Sun-dried on raised beds

Pearl Coffee Project: Cooperative coaching program

Dry aroma features rich spice notes of star anise and cinnamon, with ripe fruit aromas (similar to pineapple sweetness).

Wet aroma reveals a distinct floral character as the main axis, blended with fruit acidity and fruit sweetness. The deeper notes have aromas similar to herbal sweetness.

Rwanda's climate and altitude, combined with high-quality Bourbon coffee trees, have the capacity to produce premium coffee.

The Nyakizu Farmers' Cooperative is located near Rwanda's second-largest city, Butare.

The Nyakizu Farmers' Cooperative was established in 2006 and is the latest cooperative to partner with the Pearl Coffee Project. The Pearl Coffee Project aims to rebuild Rwanda's agricultural institutions, enhance production capacity, improve farmers' livelihoods, and sustainably produce quality coffee.

Rwanda: This small East African nation should not be overlooked by roasters and coffee enthusiasts. Known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills," its high-quality, high-altitude coffee coexists with its poverty.

It is not Africa's largest coffee producer; in 2016, it harvested only 220,000 bags (60kg each), compared to Ethiopia's 7.1 million bags and Uganda's 4.9 million bags. However, Rwanda is positioning itself as a world-class specialty coffee origin.

Rwanda did not originally grow coffee. Coffee was introduced to the country by German missionaries around the early 20th century. Since then, coffee has been an economic source for many rural households.

However, no record of Rwanda's history can ignore the tragedy of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when 800,000 people were killed in just 100 days and up to 250,000 women were raped. Following the tragedy, various organizations began to form, such as the Partnership for Enhancing Agriculture in Rwanda through Linkages (PEARL) and Sustainable Partnerships to Enhance Rural Enterprises and Agricultural Development (SPREAD). Both PEARL and SPREAD, funded by USAID, aimed to support Rwanda's agricultural reconstruction.

As one of the country's most valuable crops, coffee became a focus of agricultural reconstruction plans. The impact of investments in infrastructure and coffee producer training continues to be felt today.

In the past, Rwandan coffee was processed by individual farmers, resulting in inconsistent quality, and then mixed with coffee processed by neighboring farms. However, after the genocide turmoil, both the government and PEARL encouraged producers to invest in fully washed processing methods. Today, there are 245 processing stations nationwide.

It's worth noting that fully washed processing, also called double washing, typically differs slightly from the standard washed processing method. Coffee is usually soaked twice, a method common in Africa but less common in Latin America. Of course, if you look hard enough, you'll find other processing methods. However, the typical flavor profile of Rwandan coffee is: high sweetness, rich body, and intense flavor.

Wet fermentation is sometimes called "double washed," "double fermented," "Kenyan washed," and so on. This processing method is more common in East Africa and can enhance purity. After removing the coffee pulp, the parchment coffee is placed in water to soak. Water extends fermentation time and produces smooth body, complex acidity, and more subtle flavors. Different temperatures and water quality become important influencing factors. We still have much to explore and learn about the effects of different water qualities on coffee fermentation.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse coffee varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473