Which Rwandan Coffee Brand is Best: The Unheard Presence of Rwandan Roro Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Rwandan Coffee

Rwanda is known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills," which is why much of its coffee grows at altitudes between 1,700 and 2,000 meters above sea level. Rwandan coffee can reach world-class standards. It typically features clean, bright flavors that can compete with the finest coffees from Central America, offering more balance than Kenyan coffee, with enchanting fruity sweetness, floral aromas, and tea-like character.

Many regions across the country grow coffee, but most comes from the southern and western areas. Many farms sit at altitudes between 1,700 and 2,000 meters. Coffee grows along the shores of Lake Kivu, extending from the Gisenyi region in the north through the central areas of Kibuye and Nyamasheke and continuing south to Cyangugu.

The southern region of Butare also produces significant quantities of coffee. Limited coffee is grown in the north, mostly concentrated in the Rulindo region north of the capital, Kigali. Eastern production is also substantial, though most of it grows at lower altitudes around 1,300 meters.

Rwanda's coffee production system is ideal for smallholder farming. The traditional methods of planting and pruning are inherently excellent, complemented by fine cultivars, careful plant spacing, water-retaining mulch, organic material inputs and weed control, shade management, and the Kenyan-style pruning techniques we mentioned earlier.

The government, through its coffee committee NAEB, distributes fertilizers to farmers at wet processing stations. Bourbon variety coffees grown in Rwanda include these distinctive cultivars: POP3303/21, Jackson 2/1257, and BM 139.

After coffee cherries are harvested, they are typically placed in water to remove lighter fruits. The depulping process usually uses Kenyan-style disc pulpers, which include a classifier that separates lighter from heavier beans. Lighter beans are sorted out and sent to secondary hullers and separate low-grade fermentation tanks for B and C grade coffees. High-density, heavy beans go to Grade A fermentation tanks, where they are ultimately classified as A1, A2, and A3 quality grades.

In Summary

FrontStreet Coffee is a specialty coffee research center dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share everything without reservation because we want more friends to fall in love with coffee. We also hold three discounted coffee events every month, because FrontStreet Coffee wants to provide the best coffee at the lowest prices for more friends to enjoy. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Rwanda's Bourbon lots are loved for their balance of fruit sweetness, florals, and tea-like clarity. If that is the profile you enjoy, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Gedingding is a fine companion from neighboring Ethiopia: a G1 washed lot from the Gedingding cooperative with jasmine, bright citrus acidity, and green tea and honey notes after a medium-light roast.

For a bolder floral and fruity cup, FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Huakui is a natural processed coffee with strawberry, passion fruit, and jackfruit aromas, a smooth, juicy body, and very low bitterness. For a blend that marries floral and fruit, FrontStreet Coffee's Strawberry Candy pairs a Costa Rican honey lot with Panama Geisha for dried grape, orange, and ripe blueberry notes, a rose-like fragrance, and an almond finish.

For brewing these floral Rwandan and Ethiopian lots, FrontStreet Coffee suggests a V60 at 90-91°C, 15g of coffee at a 1:15 ratio, and a medium-fine grind at about 80% pass-through on a #20 sieve.