Tasting notes

- Boysenberry, almond & lemon peel.

This wonderful microlot is produced by independant, smallholder producers around Umurage Washing Station. We will be donating $1 from every bag sold to the Supporting Strong Women campaign. We are thrilled to partner with Melbourne Coffee Merchants to support this campaign, and raise funds to build a child day-care centre for the women of Rambagirakawa and their wider community.

Brewing

We suggest using this coffee for filter brew methods, such as a pourover, aeropress, chemex or batch brew (or similar). It's roasted a bit lighter to accentuate the delicious fruitiness and acidity that we love.

Origin Information

Country : Rwanda

Province : Southern Province

District : Huye District

Sector : Kigoma Sector

Washing Station : Umurage Washing Station

Elevation : 1750 MASL

Variety : Red Bourbon

Processing : Washed

Washing Station Owner : Buf Coffee

Growth Story

This 100% Red Bourbon lot was grown by independent, smallholder producers who farm coffee in the high hills surrounding Umurage washing station, in the Kigoma Sector of Huye District, in Rwanda’s rugged Southern Province. Umurage is one of four washing stations owned and managed by the influential company, Buf Coffee. Umurage sits at 1,750m above sea level, overlooking a landscape of vibrant green hills and rich red earth. This station services about 460 local producers in total, who deliver fresh cherry daily during the harvest period.

Typically, farms in the surrounding area are very small – averaging around a quarter of a hectare (or 300-600 trees) – and are situated between 1,800 to 2,000 meters above sea level. The high elevation of the surrounding area allows coffee cherry to ripen slowly, resulting in a complex and sweet flavour profile. Coffee is grown as a cash crop, alongside subsistence food crops like maize, beans and sorghum and some livestock like goats and chickens. Cows are also an important asset to a farming family. Besides having practical advantages – like providing milk and yoghurt to feed the family, producing excellent manure for the coffee farms, and being an opportunity for additional income – they are also a traditional symbol of wealth and status in Rwanda.