Roasters Choice

Detailed cup profile

This high grade, high altitude shade grown natural process coffee delivers a highly unusual flavour profile. This comes from the climatic conditions of the growing region and the extended fermentation at the washing station. It has a syrup like body, a milk chocolate mouthfeel and some lovely hints of red fruit sweetness. And yet, dive deeper and you can taste a complex concoction of bergemot, rosehip and light black tea leaf flavours.

Background story

Rwandan coffee has always had this amazing potential. Flavour profiles can vary from rich bodied nutty notes through to fruity, citrus and tea-like notes. However for a long time Rwandan coffee was undervalued particularly in relation to its close neighbour, Ethiopia.

Our microlot coffee cherries are delivered by the Rutabo Village farmers to the largest f the two washing stations run by Abakundakawa where they are then sun dried on raised beds for an extended period so that all those flavour potentials can be realised in the cup.

Abakundakawa became a recognised cooperative in 2007. Since then, in a relatively short time, Abakundakawa managed to become an advanced operation with over 2000 member farmers, that serves as a prime example of how coffee growers can turn the specialty market into a seller’s market.

We last visited Rushashi with Lennart (from This Side Up) in February 2019. And there was a lot to see: a new community centre, the new nursery, the improvements to the mill and we got to meet a new women’s organisation, the Hingakawa. They represent perhaps the biggest development of all in coffee, and in the wider Rwandan society: ownership of land and business by women. We are proud to be associated with them for the last 3 years.

This is an amazing cooperative: it has the facilities to roast and cup samples on site, employs a full range of organic processing methods and has recently become certified organic, it provides full transparency in its bookkeeping and in recent years has received technical and leadership trainings from the Rwandan government and development. In terms of processing, it employs a particularly long fermentation process that has been adopted by several nearby cooperative societies, and has likely contributed to the bronze medal they earned at the 2010 Rwanda Cup of Excellence competition.

Shortly after our visit, Abakundakawa started to implement agroforestry practices throughout their members’ coffee fields. This Side Up have worked to establish a consortium with local agronomists and agroforestry organisations. The aim is to have an example case to show to farmer within 5 years: a fully reforested plot where all fertilisation, soil and water management and pest control is done automatically - by nature itself.

Perfect preparation

A balanced and sweet espresso; tea-like quality for filter coffees as a pour-over or through a filter machine. Excellent in all milk drinks (and especially with a great Oat milk alternative).

Brewing guide

We like this high grade Rwanda coffee when we make it using a V60 pour-over filter coffee and as an espresso.

Will work well with any at-home coffee machine as espresso or milky drink. Here’s how we make the espresso component in our espresso machine:

• 18g fine grind coffee IN
• 40ml coffee OUT
• 30 seconds EXTRACTION TIME

This coffee will also taste awesome as any kind of filter option or using an Aeropress. You can refer to our full brewing guide for all coffee gadgets in your Dashboard.

Espresso

Whole beans

Fine grind

You can find a full Brewing Guide in your Dashboard when you become a subscriber to our Coffee Club.