Introduction to Mayogi Coffee Cooperative in Rwanda - How Should Rwandan Coffee Be Roasted?

Rwanda Coffee Cup of Excellence

In every cupping session run by the national jury and the Cup of Excellence international jury panel, the award-winning coffees consistently score above 86 points. During cupping, each of these coffees is tasted at least five times. The batch quantity is counted in 30kg boxes, and each box holds two 15kg vacuum-sealed bags.

Rwanda Coffee Characteristics

More than 95% of Rwandan coffee varieties are Arabica Bourbon, with small amounts of Catuai and Caturra.

Growing altitude: 1,200-1,800 meters

Flowering period: September-October each year

Harvest period: March-July of the following year

Because of its climate and geography, and thanks to new processing methods introduced by coffee organizations to raise quality, Rwanda has adopted washed processing for almost all of its green beans in recent years. As a result, cooperatives and estates share washing stations to keep costs down, and washing stations are almost always surrounded by coffee plantations.

In 2008, at the annual premium coffee competition hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), Rwanda Aromec's premium washed Bourbon beans defeated Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 and Sumatra Mandheling G1 to take the 2008 COE championship award. That result established the country's reputation and price level in the coffee world.

Mayogi Cooperative

The Mayogi Cooperative is made up of a group of 108 farmers. Because their knowledge of coffee processing was limited, the cooperative rented its processing unit to a private owner.

In 2012, Mayogi became a Cup of Excellence winner. In 2017, the cooperative began working with the NGO Sustainable Harvest. Since then, the farmers have regained control of the processing unit, and with support from Sustainable Harvest projects they now run their own coffee washing station.

The CWS works with Sustainable Harvest to train farmers in good agricultural practices and to connect them with World Bank services. The cooperative has since grown to 267 members, 172 of them women, and is able to service loans effectively.

With better coffee knowledge, the cooperative won the 2018 Cup of Excellence, finishing second.

Looking ahead, the cooperative plans to double its washing capacity and production.

CWS Details

CWS Owner: Cooperative Mayogi

Processing Capacity: 160 tons

Processing System: Washed processing

Drying System: Natural sun drying

Water Source: Mountain natural spring water

How to Roast Rwanda Coffee?

Rwanda's coffee regions sit at high altitude, so the beans are dense. FrontStreet Coffee applies significant heat when roasting African specialty coffees. Hard beans like these transfer heat well, so higher drop temperatures and faster rates of rise are preferable.

Rwanda coffee also has excellent body, so you can try extending the development time and the first crack period to emphasize it. Light-roasted Rwanda coffee offers pleasant acidity, but don't be afraid to build a more syrup-like body and mouthfeel as well.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends brewing Rwanda coffee with water at 89-91°C. It carries a "grass aroma" characteristic of tropical climates. Beyond the fruity sweetness in the cup, it also delivers a refreshing, bright, and fresh sensation. The Bourbon grown in Rwanda stands out for its fruity sweetness, with a rich, full aroma, absolutely no astringency, and a long-lasting finish. This coffee features a delicious, citrus-like sweetness with a deep chocolate color, notes of red apple, cherry, cinnamon, and honey, excellent sweetness and balance, and a finish of cinnamon, almond, and chocolate.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy a heavy, sweet, low-acid cup, FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Golden Mandheling is worth trying. It comes from the Lintong region of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, and represents a higher grade of Mandheling: beans selected above 18 screen, with fewer than three defective beans in a 300g green-bean sample, meeting the top G1 standard. After medium-dark roasting it carries a rich toasted aroma, and the brewed black coffee is clean yet full-bodied.

FrontStreet Coffee suggests brewing it by pour-over with 87-88°C water, 15g of coffee, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and a grind like granulated sugar. Pour in three stages: a 30ml first pour wets all the grounds and lets them degas, a 100ml second pour lifts the bed and releases the golden foam, and a final gentle 95ml pour down the center raises the sweetness. The result is a thick, full body with caramel sweetness and chocolate and nut notes.