What are the Flavor Characteristics of Rwanda FLO Fair Trade | COOPAC Cooperative Grade A?

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Rwanda FLO Fair Trade | What is the flavor profile of COOPAC Cooperative Grade A?

Rwandan coffee is almost entirely produced by small farmers. There are an estimated more than 500,000 small coffee farms across the country, and most average less than one hectare. Transportation difficulties also put the country's coffee exports at a significant disadvantage: because Rwanda sits on the inland highlands of Africa with no coastline, coffee must first pass through Uganda and then reach the port of Mombasa in Kenya before being exported to other countries. The long overland journey makes quality control extremely challenging. The COOPAC cooperative is located on the shores of Lake Kivu in the Rubavu region of western Rwanda, at an altitude of 1,450-1,900 meters. Lake Kivu is one of Africa's highest lakes and one of the few lakes in the world that can experience volcanic eruptions. Its soil, rich in volcanic minerals, provides vital nutrients for coffee cultivation, yielding high-quality washed Rwanda green beans that have consistently posted excellent results in COE and EAFCA competitions.

Coffee Origin Information

Region: Gisenyi

Altitude: 1,500 - 1,900 meters

Soil: Volcanic soil

Variety: Bourbon

Processing Method: Washed

Certification: Fair Trade (FLO Fair Trade)

Awards: 2010 EAFCA 1st Place; 2010 COE 1st and 9th Place; 2008 COE 8th, 12th, and 24th Place

Rwanda sits on the East African highlands, where high altitude and a moderate climate are actually quite suitable for coffee. In 1904, German missionaries first introduced coffee to the area. Because coffee was then the only agricultural product farmers could directly exchange for money, and because the Rwandan government promoted it vigorously, the whole country began large-scale coffee cultivation.

Rwanda was originally a German colony from the late 18th to early 19th century, and after World War I it was ruled by Belgium until gaining independence in the 1960s. The post-independence government, however, was controlled by a minority ethnic group accounting for less than 20% of the population, and inter-ethnic discontent began to build. Although the coffee industry had been promoted since the German colonial period and annual coffee exports had reached 45,000 tons by the early 1990s, from April to July 1994 large-scale ethnic genocide broke out over long-standing ethnic issues. In less than a hundred days, one million people died in war or were systematically slaughtered. The unstable political situation brought export operations to an almost complete halt. Combined with low international green-bean prices at the time, most farmers could no longer sustain themselves by growing coffee and switched to other food crops for basic survival, dealing an almost devastating blow to Rwanda's coffee industry. Only in recent years, as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) began helping local farmers grow specialty coffee - building washing stations, establishing cooperatives, providing education and training, and cultivating professional cupping talent - has production gradually recovered. Today roughly 25,000 tons of green beans are available for export each year.

The COOPAC cooperative was established in April 2001. Starting with 110 founding members, it grew to 2,200 members after a decade and expanded to three washing stations, which can be considered quite successful. The cooperative is located in the Gisenyi production region of western Rwanda, closest to the Congo border. Several washing stations are built along the high-altitude Lake Kivu at 1,450 meters, while hundreds of small farms are scattered on the plateau at 1,500-1,900 meters on the eastern side of the lake. The region lies in a volcanic zone, where the cool altitude, fertile volcanic soil, and the humid, moderate climate regulated by the lake provide an excellent environment for coffee trees. Lake Kivu also supplies clean water for the washing stations. Such natural conditions are actually quite rare across the whole African continent.

For COOPAC, the cooperative is less a coffee production center than a practical hub for local cultural and economic development and environmental sustainability. It is committed to protecting water sources - for example, not discharging wastewater and fruit skins from processing directly into the lake, but using them for irrigation and fertilizer - protecting hillside soil and biological resources by encouraging farmers to plant shade trees widely in their coffee gardens, guiding farmers to improve cultivation techniques, and using cooperative surpluses to build bridges, pave roads, and construct schools. No wonder the cooperative has developed rapidly while its coffee quality has only improved year by year. In recent COE and EAFCA competitions, COOPAC has not only been a regular participant but has climbed in the rankings annually: rich toast aroma mixed with fruits such as citrus and dried fruits like longan and figs, full acidity and a solid mouthfeel, and rich, lingering florals with a smoky preserved-fruit sweet aftertaste that rolls in the mouth. Such extraordinary performance is worthy of Rwanda's most outstanding coffee producer.

Flavor Profile

Flavor: aromas of green apple, chocolate, caramel, and dried fruits, with a quite rich oily sensation. The aftertaste is long-lasting after entering the mouth, with a thick texture.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee grounds. First infusion with 25g water, bloom for 25 seconds. Second infusion to 120g water, then stop pouring. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before continuing. Slowly pour water until reaching 225g total. Extraction time around 2:00.

Analysis: A three-stage brewing method clearly defines the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing the pour helps extend the extraction time.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If COOPAC's clean, washed Rwandan profile appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Gedingding Cooperative is a close cousin in character. This washed Yirgacheffe, from the Wolka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe, comes from a team of growers known for exacting processing. Washed processing lets it put jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity front and center, and after a medium-light roast it takes on green tea and honey notes, making it suitable for pour-over, cold brew, and espresso alike.

For a cup that pushes that washed clarity even further, FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Little Tomato is one of the best-known examples of the style. Kenya is renowned for double-washing its green beans, soaking and washing them through an extra cycle, and this lot from Kenya's Thika region - grown at 1,550-1,750 meters from the classic SL28 and SL34 varieties - puts cherry tomato and dried plum acidity at its core with a full, juicy body. A light roast preserves the lively acidity and layered fruit, giving dried tomato and floral notes in the dry aroma and a clean, sweet finish of yellow sugar and green tea.