Rwanda
Kanyege Isimbi
Gatsibo District
1500-1800masl
Bourbon
Washed
Lemon, currants and leatherwood honey
In the cup: Light and fragrant notes of lemon citrus hang high above. A richer currant note fills the middle palate, bringing a unique and moreish leatherwood honey sweetness. This carries through the body and well into its linger. A brew that's a little bit different with significant variation in flavour found through adjusting your brew ratios.
Who and where? Hailing from the Gatsibo District, Northeast of Rwanda, we have seen a tremendous improvement in cup quality over the years from this region.
Over 1200 smallholder producers bring their cherry to the Isimbi washing station for processing, with each farm consisting of just 0.2 hectares of land for dedicated coffee production. Talk about owner-operator!
Harvest: Cherry from Kanyege Isimbi is selectively hand-picked. This may sound simple, and it’s easy to take for granted, but in a region where traditionally quantity is king, this change is no small thing! This change in values is monumental, where quality is the driver, and farmers are rewarded not by weight but by the quality of the coffee.
Once picked, the ripe cherry is delivered to the Isimbi washing station. Upon arrival, the cherry is sorted and graded using hand sorting and a floating method. The cherry is then pulped, and the beans are placed in fermentation tanks for 8 hours.
The coffee beans are then washed to remove the remaining mucilage and placed on raised beds to dry.
Support: In 2018, the Cooperative of Coffee Farmers in the Kageyo Sector was created (COCAKA for short). COCAKA assists co-op members and farmers near the station with facilities and empowerment, including consultation, training and ongoing support.