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The Story and Pour-Over Flavor Characteristics of Murundo CWS Processing Station Coffee Beans from Rwanda

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information. Please follow the Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). Rwanda has always been blessed with excellent coffee growing conditions: high altitude, volcanic soil, abundant sunshine, and Cabernet. Since many coffee trees are planted on mountains between 1700 and 2000 meters above sea level, Rwanda is also known as the Land of a Thousand Hills. Rwandan coffee can be

Professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

Rwanda: The Land of a Thousand Hills

Rwanda has always been blessed with excellent coffee growing conditions: high altitude, volcanic soil, abundant sunshine, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Since many coffee trees are planted on mountains between 1,700 and 2,000 meters above sea level, Rwanda is also known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills." Rwandan coffee offers a world-class experience—more balanced than Kenyan coffee yet distinctive enough to compare with Central American varieties. Generally, Rwandan coffee features the fresh sweetness of fruit, the delicate fragrance of flowers, and a black tea-like aftertaste. Coffee production models often vary by producing country, but Rwandan coffee is entirely produced by small farmers rather than large-scale enterprises. Compared to Brazilian farms, where even small ones reach twenty hectares, Rwanda's 0.1-0.2 hectare plots are truly modest.

Murundo CWS: A Story of Serendipity

Murundo CWS is one of two washing stations owned by Teuscher Invest Ltd. The company produces, processes, and exports fully washed specialty coffee under the Kivubelt Coffee trademark. The story of how Kivubelt coffee is processed at Murundo CWS is one of remarkable circumstances. In fact, the Kivubelt coffee estate consists of three locations with over 90,000 trees, located 20 kilometers from Murundo CWS.

Two years after planting, in 2014, the farm produced its first coffee harvest. However, the estate had no CWS to process the cherries. The better solution was to temporarily rent a CWS that was preparing to begin operations—this is how Kivubelt coffee ultimately became part of Murundo's process. Due to the estate's insufficient cherry quantity compared to the facility's capacity, management decided to purchase cherries from small farmers in the Mahembe area, where Murundo CWS is located, to improve efficiency.

Building Community Relationships

What should have been a temporary solution evolved into a long-term relationship between over 500 small farmers in Mahembe and the owners of Murundo CWS, who purchased the wet mill in 2016. The quality and potential of the cherries brought to the CWS were exceptional and met one of Kivubelt Coffee's primary objectives: to deliver an outstanding cup of coffee to consumers—a truly memorable experience.

Quality Control and Processing

To ensure quality consistency, Murundo CWS staff must explain to farmers and demonstrate how and when to pick ripe cherries. At the CWS, cherry selection undergoes strict quality control. After floating in water, only ruby-red mature cherries are accepted.

The cherries are then pulped through approximately 12 hours of dry and wet fermentation. Afterwards, the coffee beans are thoroughly washed with clean spring water. The completely washed parchment beans are then slowly sun-dried and hand-sorted several times. When the beans reach 12% moisture content, they are bagged and stored in a dry, well-ventilated warehouse.

Community Engagement and Social Responsibility

Since 2014, the owners of Murundo CWS and their team have become very active members of the Mahembe community. They regularly participate in community services such as Umuganda and organize capacity-building meetings with small farmers to improve coffee quality consistency.

In December 2017, Kivubelt Coffee paid an additional 5 Rwfr/kg as a bonus to all farmers who brought cherries to Murundo CWS that year.

Socially, the owners of Kivubelt Coffee and their team members are deeply aware of the vulnerability of rural community life, which is why the company has committed to and provided healthcare services for the entire year of 2018 to the 100 most vulnerable people selected by local authorities in Mahembe.

Exceptional Coffee Production

Murundo WCS has become the place where Teuscher Invest Ltd., through Kivubelt Coffee and Mahembe's small farmers, can process and produce exceptional high-end specialty coffee for the world market.

Location and Technical Specifications

Location: S: 02°13.788'
Longitude: E: 029°16.707'
Province: Western Province
District: Nyamasheke
Sector: Mahembe
Altitude: Located at 1,708m ASL
Farm elevation range: Between 1,515m-1,900m
Soil type: Volcanic soil, deep and well-drained
Soil pH average: 3.9-4.8
Precipitation range: 1,200mm-1,600mm
Temperature: 18°C-20°C

Operations and Infrastructure

CWS Owner: TEUSCHER INVEST LTD (Kivubelt Coffee)
Status: Private Company
Established: 2008
Processing System: Washed processing
Drying Beds: 80 tables, full sun-dried, 12% moisture content, shore control
Storage: A warehouse with natural ventilation system and pallets
Road Access: Fair
Water Source: Natural mountain spring
Energy Source: Electricity
Environmental Measures: Natural trees

Roasting Recommendations

How to roast Rwandan coffee?

Due to Rwanda's high altitude, its coffee beans have high density. FrontStreet Coffee applies significant heat during the roasting process when roasting African specialty coffees. Hard beans like these transfer heat well, so higher drop temperatures and larger temperature rise rates would be preferable.

Additionally, Rwandan coffee has excellent body, so you can also try extending the flavor development time and first crack period to emphasize the body. Light-roasted Rwandan coffee offers pleasant acidity, but don't be afraid to create more syrup-like body/mouthfeel in the coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends brewing Rwandan coffee with water at 89-91°C. With its "grass-like aroma" and tropical climate characteristics, this coffee presents fruity sweetness while also allowing people to taste refreshing, bright, and fresh sensations. The Bourbon coffee grown in Rwanda is acclaimed for its fruity sweetness, with rich and full fragrance, absolutely no astringency, and a long-lasting aftertaste. This coffee features delicious, citrus-like sweet aroma, deep chocolate color, and notes of red apple, cherry, cinnamon, and honey, with excellent sweetness and balance, plus a lingering finish of cinnamon, almond, and chocolate.

About FrontStreet Coffee

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