About This Single Origin 

Rwanda Mushonyi G1 | Rutsiro Washed

ROAST:  Filter Roast

PROCESS: Washed
REGION: Rutsiro

ELEVATION: 1200 - 1820

VARIETAL: Bourbon

CUP: Red plum, Dates, Brown sugar.

As we welcome in the new year we bring you two coffees from Rwanda. One is from Rwanda’s North-West region; the other from its South-West. Both coffees are of a Bourbon varietal with a growing altitude of above 1200 metres above sea level and come from washing stations that are looked after by RWACOF.

This coffee comes from the Mushonyi coffee central washing station (CWS). Coffee is harvest from the mountainous region surrounding Lake Kivu. This region is known for its rich volcanic soil, steady rainfall and mild climate. Mushonyi CWS is supported by over 1200 smallholder coffee farmers; of whom approximately 68% are male, 32% female. The washing station also serves as a centre for community through the outreach work of RWACOF. They provide educational and community orientated programs for farmers and producers. Most of the education programs are focused on agricultural best practices training, sustainable farming, soil analysis and yield improvement techniques. Whilst there are also programs on gender equity, women’s cooperatives and financial literacy.

The Mushonyi CWS processes coffee in three ways; washed, natural or honey. All of the coffee is initially hand-sorted for ‘bad fruit’. Cherries that appear too ripe or underripe are separated before a preliminary ‘float’, where they are immersed in water. Coffees that are not dense enough will rise to the surface of the water and are skimmed to be processed separately from the higher quality, denser cherries. Fully washed coffees are then fermented in tanks for 24 hours, after which they are washed thoroughly to remove their mucilage and spread across raised beds made of wood and mesh to dry. They are monitored until they reach 10.8% moisture content and then processed further for export. 

To us, this coffee has a beautiful character. We find Red plum, dates and brown sugar.