Rwanda is blessed with perfect coffee growing conditions including high altitude, regular rainfall, volcanic soils and an abundance of Bourbon. This particular anaerobic natural espresso offers a sweet fruit-forward delicious espresso with a profile of grapefruit juice & pink peppercorn .
A little more about the coffee
The Gasharu washing in Wimana, near Lake Kivu in Rwanda’s Nyamasheke-Gatara district works with 1,075 smallholder farmers. Situated close to Nyangwe Forest National Park, a biodiversity hotspot home to 25% of Africa’s primates, you’ll find this particular washing station producing exceptional anaerobic natural processed coffee.
Gasharu’s coffee production focuses on quality, starting with careful cherry selection, sun-drying on raised beds for 30-40 days and meticulous hand-sorting to remove defects. The coffee is protected from weather damage, with daily monitoring for optimal humidity. Once dried, it is then stored for secondary processing.
Rwandan coffee’s journey from commodity to speciality has transformed over the past two decades. There has been a huge focus on quality over the past 20 years, earning global recognition. Investments in infrastructure like washing stations and cooperatives have elevated Rwandan coffee to world-class standards.
A bit of coffee history in Rwanda
The commercialisation of Rwanda has evolved gradually, with smallholder farms dominating production. After gaining independence the government imposed fixed prices, leaving farmers without alternatives and ultimately discouraged quality improvement. Although much of Rwanda’s coffee was high-quality Bourbon, a lack of sorting and grading meant it was relegated to commercial grade.
There has been a huge amount of focus over the past 20 years on quality rather than quantity, greatly increasing the value of its coffee. Investments in new washing stations, innovative mobile cupping labs and cooperatives have transformed the industry. Rwandan speciality coffees now rank among the world’s finest.
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