Coffee was first introduced in Rwanda in the s. Initially the coffee was in large quantity with a great lack of quality.
Low graded coffee was most grown especially in the colonial government era before gaining independence in the mid of the 20th century.
Rwanda also suffered political turmoil which left the country almost in shreds greatly affecting the coffee industry. A national strategy on coffee reinvention was one of the factors which helped Rwandan coffee industry recover and start producing high end coffee beans. Just in about 20 years the country has turned to be among the best coffee producing nations.
Most of Rwandan coffee producers are small scale. Most of Rwandan coffee is high grown and the altitudes vary from about to feet above mean sea level which is perfect condition for growing good quality beans. Local coffee growing seasons is around September and October where this continues up to march to July which is the harvesting periods. The general method for processing coffee in Rwanda is through wet processing. The country has invested a lot of time and effort not to forget a lot of resources to establish communal coffee washing facilities around the country.
The small scale coffee growers are not capable for creating washing stations individually like those of large estates across the world. This is due to the fact that the coffee growers in Rwanda do not specialize in coffee growing alone but other agriculture activities also like the food crops. For this reason the establishment of society coffee washing stations has aided the farmers in decent coffee washing stations helping to improve the yields and the grade of coffee.
The Rwandan coffee tastes and flavors vary greatly though there are some common tasting elements. Rwandan coffee is basically silky in touching, creamed body, and buttery and rich in flavor. The coffees are also floral tasting with citrus and fruity flavors topped up by mild savory notes. The floral notes are characterized by the Ethiopian notes like the cinnamon, cloves, caramel sugar, nutty and other fruity and spicy notes.
The acidity is bright and strong and is both sour and sweet owing to the high altitudes and climate. Rwandan acidity in coffee is almost similar like that in Kenyan beans. Those contributions have a life-changing impact on the everyday lives of Rwandan farmers and their families.
It's coffee that brews hope and brings promise to Rwandan farming communities while transforming your daily cup into one that's both delicious - and impactful. Rwanda has endless rolling hills dotted with lush trees, home to mountain gorillas, and small coffee farms. High altitude and tropical climate are ideal for growing high-quality coffee. The peak harvest is from May on. The coffee farmers pick the coffee cherries, dry them, and sort them all by hand. We value freshness, flavor, and aroma above all else.
Each unique roast brings out the subtle nuances of the nutrient-rich volcanic soil and exquisite flavors only found in the mountains of Rwanda. Best coffee on this planet.. Try the dark roast. All of these are small batch roasted and sourced from small farmers. Additionally, they are all fully washed bourbon variety beans, and the line has received consistently high ratings. So next time you are at your local shop, keep an eye out for a Rwandan Reserve coffee. Across the board, Rwandan growing regions tend to have nice, high-altitudes with nitrogen-rich volcanic soil.
Within these areas you can still detect a lot of variety and complexity, so it is difficult to pin down any specific regional profiles. First up, to understand the coffee, you need to know where and how it is grown. The Rwandan coffee that is gaining global recognition for its high quality is generally from on farms located on mountainsides between and feet above sea level.
However, the bulk of the farms are still located in the 4, to 6, feet range. The high altitudes, volcanic soil, plentiful sunlight and equatorial mists favor Arabic growth. The plants flower in September and October, and they are processed from March to July. In Rwanda, the vast majority of the coffee is fully wet processed.
This is a more recent development in the coffee industry there but is largely responsible for the increase in production volume and quality. Unlike in other parts of the world, these washing stations are not linked to massive coffee estates to process everything in house. Instead, these washing stations cater to a number of smaller farmers who often grow coffee in addition to other crops.
The process is also referred to as fully washed or double washed. It involves soaking the beans twice, and is much more widespread in Africa than it is in other regions such as Latin America. Wet processing is best suited for complex flavor profiles and is responsible for the noticeably clean, bright and fruity notes that Rwandan coffee is now known for.
The favorable climate plus the high-quality processing makes for some seriously delicious coffee. Across the board you can expect a rich, creamy body with a buttery overtone and caramel aftertaste. As far as flavor, your tastebuds will delight in the bright, citrusy flavors accompanied by floral or fruit notes. On top of that baseline, Rwandan coffees often introduce several layers of complexity. So you could be surprised with anything from notes of clove or cinnamon to nuttiness and white chocolate.
You may even detect some dates or plum notes. Plus, on top of it all, the aroma carries hints of orange blossom and lemon. Once upon a time, in German missionaries introduced coffee plants to the beautiful, vibrant country of Rwanda.
But from there, things were far from a fairy tale. Decades of European influence in Rwanda ultimately led to the destabilization of the sociopolitical system there, and served as the catalyst for the Rwandan genocide in In the span of just days, , people were murdered and over , women were raped. Following the tragedy of the Genocide, there was a need for not only rebuilding but also for improvement. The coffee industry was no exception. As the country looked towards the future, they also aimed to rebuild a a better, quality focused production system that, with the rise of the Third Wave Coffee movement , could prove more lucrative for their economy.
Timothy Schilling , assisted in this process. The country has become the ninth largest producer of Arabica coffee. While there is definitely still a lot of room to grow and recover, the beautiful, impressive country has much to offer, especially when it comes to coffee. Over the past two decades it has seen an incredible amount of growth alongside the growing stability and success in other areas of the country.
In addition to the growing focus on specialty coffee, there is also a push to grow coffee culture within the country.
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