Rwanda Coffee Cultivation History: How to Brew Rwandan Coffee & Flavor Characteristics

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Rwanda: A History of Rebirth, Protecting Hope with Coffee

Rwanda possesses unique conditions for growing Arabica coffee: fertile volcanic soil, abundant rainfall, and year-round suitable temperatures, all of which make the coffee produced here distinctive in flavor. Follow FrontStreet Coffee as we explore Rwandan coffee.

Civil War Made Rwandan Coffee Disappear from the Coffee Market

In 1904, German missionaries introduced coffee to Rwanda. Starting from 1930, coffee became the only crop through which small farmers could earn income, so coffee cultivation began to flourish. At that time, the coffee was dry-processed with low quality.

In 1989, due to intensifying political turmoil, the price of green coffee beans plummeted. From this year, Rwanda experienced a long-term economic crisis.

In 1994, Rwanda erupted into civil war, causing 1 million deaths and leaving 2 million people homeless. During this chaotic period when people struggled to survive, all coffee farms were left unattended. In that year, Rwandan coffee disappeared from the coffee market.

Rwanda's Coffee Economic Development After Rebirth

After 1995, with vigorous government support and protection from foreign non-governmental organizations, Rwanda's economy and coffee industry got back on track. According to the International Coffee Organization (ICO), Rwanda's coffee industry is undergoing a revival. In 1994, coffee production plummeted by 95% to 22,000 kilograms (60kg per bag). But in just the next year, production recovered to 329,000 kilograms and has remained stable since then.

In 2001, the Rwandan government established NAEB (National Agriculture Export Development Board) to focus on improving coffee exports. The government provided necessary support, resources, and infrastructure, and also encouraged agribusiness practitioners and the private sector to invest in coffee processing to increase the value of Rwanda's ordinary coffee for export.

In 2017, NAEB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) jointly launched a three-year technical program called "Rwanda Coffee Upgrade and Promotion (CUP Rwanda)". This project aimed to provide farmers with better cultivation practices and quality improvements in processing.

Over the past 22 years, with international assistance, Rwanda's coffee industry has been rebuilt and developed after a difficult past. Although production averages below pre-civil war levels, it has remained generally stable, with a 10% increase in production in the 2018/19 season. NAEB hopes to expand cultivated area from the current 37,700 hectares to 39,500 hectares by 2023.

Rwanda Coffee Cultivation

Rwanda has always been blessed with excellent coffee growing conditions: high altitude, volcanic soil, abundant sunlight, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Since many coffee trees are planted on mountains between 1,700 and 2,000 meters altitude, Rwanda is also known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills." FrontStreet Coffee, when cupping Rwandan coffee, compares it with Kenyan coffee from the same African region. Rwandan coffee has more balanced flavors and is clearer and more precise.

Rwanda Coffee Growing Regions

Rwanda's specialty coffee growing regions are mainly distributed in the southern and western parts. In the southern Huye mountain area and Nyamagabe region, due to higher altitudes, coffee beans have floral and citrus flavors; while in the western Nyamasheke region near Lake Kivu, high-quality coffee with rich, aromatic, and juicy tastes is produced. Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes, located in the East African Rift Valley with several active volcanoes. The great lake and nearby volcanoes have created a unique microclimate famous for producing fruity coffee. Many coffees from this region have cherry flavors, although this particular place shows more floral and herbal notes.

Although there isn't much flavor difference between regions, careful tasting still reveals distinctions. People often ask FrontStreet Coffee how to distinguish them, thinking flavor is somewhat mystical. In fact, FrontStreet Coffee has undergone extensive flavor recognition training to distinguish coffee flavors from different regions, which requires time, effort, and persistence.

Rwanda Coffee Varieties

Over 97% of coffee grown in Rwanda is Arabica, of which about 95% is Bourbon. Bourbon was introduced from Central America to Puerto Rico, then brought to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1930s, and finally brought to Rwanda in the early 1950s. When the Bourbon variety Mayaguez was first introduced to East Africa, it was bred with some local tree species, resulting in BM-71 and BM-139. These two varieties also show extremely similar agricultural characteristics. This variety grows vigorously, has high yields, and relatively good cup quality, commonly found in Rwanda and Burundi.

General Bourbon coffee trees, after flowering and fruiting, show color changes in coffee cherries: green > light yellow > light orange > mature red > darker overripe red, hence some people call it "Red Bourbon." In fact, Red Bourbon is what we generally call Bourbon. Bourbon grown at high altitudes typically has better aroma and brighter acidity.

Rwanda Coffee Bean Processing

In 2000, after experiencing political turmoil, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded two major coffee development programs, PEARL and SPREAD, aimed at supporting Rwanda's reconstruction. After implementation, in just 12 years, Rwanda's washing stations increased from two to 220. They are now all privately owned, by exporters or farmer cooperatives. Due to small average farm sizes (each farm has fewer than 200 coffee trees on average), each station serves about 50 to 100 farms.

First, large amounts of water are added to coffee cherries to wash away unripe fruits and impurities floating on the surface for bean selection. Then a depulper removes the skin and pulp. Next, they are placed in fermentation tanks for 18-36 hours, allowing fermentation bacteria to dissolve the mucilage on the coffee cherry surface. After cleaning with clear water, they are dried in the sun for 1-3 weeks, then machine-dried, and finally the inner parchment, husk, seed coat, and silver skin are removed with a hulling machine.

Coffee Region: Nyamasheke
Processing Station: Gisake Processing Station
Growing Altitude: 1,700 to 2,000 meters
Processing Method: Washed
Coffee Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Suggestions

Yangjia 800N with 550g beans: Enter drum at 175°C, heat at 120, damper at 3; Return point at 1'36", when drum temperature reaches 112°C, open damper to 4, heat rises to 140; When drum temperature reaches 151°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, entering dehydration stage;

At 8'30", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast smell clearly turns to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 9'45", open damper to 5, develop for 1'30" after first crack, discharge at 190.6°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

Dry Aroma: Citrus, cherry tomatoes
Wet Aroma: Citrus, grass
Mouthfeel: Plums, citrus, berries, bright acidity, nuts, honey finish

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Suggestions

Filter: V60
Water Temperature: 90°C
Coffee Amount: 15 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: BG#6m (Chinese standard #20 sieve with 80% pass rate)

*BG grinder settings are very precise. Not all BG grinders are the same. Different altitudes and roast levels of coffee beans require different settings. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee suggests that grinders should be recalibrated periodically. To calibrate coffee grind size, you can use a standard #20 coffee sieve. If you don't have a sieve at home, FrontStreet Coffee suggests observing water flow rate to judge: if water flows too fast, the grind is too coarse; if water flows too slowly, the grind is too fine.

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, also called three-stage brewing. Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then continue pouring in a small circular motion to 125g for segmentation. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the filter cup. Extraction time is 2'03" (starting from bloom timing).

Brewing Flavor: Delicious citrus-like sweet aroma, bright acidity, berries, apples, citrus, honey sweetness in the middle, excellent sweetness and balance, almond and chocolate finish.

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