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April

Gasharu

Rwanda

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Coffee Profile

Varietals
Bourbon

Process
Washed

Producer
Smallholder farmers

Notes
Cola, Blackcurrant & Fruit tea

More about the coffee, producer & region.

This fully washed lot comes from Gasharu washing station, Wimana, right on the edge of Lake Kivu in the Nyamasheke-Gatare district, out in Western Rwanda. Gasharu works with a good number – about 1,075 – of small-scale farmers in that area, which is just a stone's throw from Nyungwe Forest National Park. That's one of the biggest and best-kept mountain rainforests in central Africa, you know, and it's got about a quarter of Africa's primates. Gasharu coffee is looked after by Valentin Kamenyi. Growing up in the Rwandan countryside back in the 1990s, coffee had a bit of a legendary feel to it for him.

About the Region

Rwandan coffee production started on small farms and after independence, the government tried to improve things with central processing but ended up controlling prices and ignoring quality. This meant even good Bourbon beans were just sold as commercial grade. The Rwandan genocide had a massive impact, tanking coffee exports. While they now export less than they did in the early nineties, the focus has shifted entirely to quality over the last 20 years. This investment in washing stations, cupping labs, and cooperatives means Rwandan specialty coffees are now recognised as some of the best globally. It's a real story of turning things around through a focus on quality.

About the Process

Ripe cherries are carefully selected - first by hand and then by floatation. The cherries are depulped and fermented in clean water for 15 hours. The coffee is then thoroughly washed in clean water grading channels, then soaked for a further 14 hours. After soaking the coffee dried on raised African beds, first under shade and then in the sun, for an average of 15-20 days. The coffee is turned and handpicked constantly as it dries to ensure consistent drying and remove physical defects.