Rwanda - Bumbogo - Natural

RWANDA - BUMBOGO - NATURAL

COUNTRY

Rwanda is blessed with ideal coffee growing conditions that include high altitude, regular rainfall, volcanic soils with good organic structure and an abundance of the Bourbon coffee variety. The vast majority of Rwandan coffee is produced by smallholders of which there are thought to be around half a million, they often have no more than just one hectare per family. Coffee is grown in most parts of the country, with particularly large concentrations along Lake Kivu and in the southern province. Rwandan smallholders organise themselves into cooperatives and share the services of centralised wet-mills – or washing stations as they are known locally. Flowering takes place between September and October and the harvest runs from March to July, with shipments starting in late May, early June.

THIS COFFEE

The Gakenke district where Bumbogo is located, is also an area known for high-quality coffee production in Rwanda. It is a highly competitive region, and home to several winning Cup of Excellence lots. Bumbogo is the washing station closest to Kigali and has more than doubled their production since 2018, with an impressive expanse of drying beds covering the hills surrounding the washing station itself. The station works alongside the community in ways external to the purchase and processing of its coffee. This value added when paired can massively improve not only quality but the yields of a producer’s land.
All cherry is hand-sorted, underripe or damaged cherry is removed. Cherry is then floated in pre-pulping tanks.. Once the cherry is pulped, sorted and cleaned, it is ready to be dried. The cherries are laid out evenly across raised beds, providing consistent airflow, and height away to prevent moisture and pests.. The cherry is dried for 30 days, turned constantly in the sun and covered during the night. Once dried, the outer fruit is removed, and the coffee beans are ready to be organised for packing.

TASTES LIKE:

Strawberry, Fudge, Raisin