Washed Rwandan Dovestone Coffee

Origin: Nyamasheke, Kilimbi, Nyarusange, Gitsimbwe, Rwanda
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1600 – 1850m
Flavour: Blood orange, cashew nuts and crisp red apple.
Varietal: Bourbon

The Kilimbi washing station design and processing lend well to produce clean and homogeneous coffee. Add to this the thorough washing practices of Muraho Trading Company and the outcome is some of the best specialty coffee we’ve found in Rwanda. All cherry is hand-sorted before a pre-pulp float and under-ripe or damaged cherry are removed. Cherry is then put in pre-pulping tanks, removing any floaters and later pulped. Next, coffee is fermented in dedicated concrete fermentation tanks. During this time the ferment parchment is agitated several times through the day by way of ceremonial foot stomping. After fermentation, coffee is released into a large serpentine grading channel. This is a moving channel of water that allows any floaters to be discarded. This process also separates parchment into different density grades.

The highest density grade, A1, is trapped by submerged gates early on in the serpentine, where lower density coffee is allowed to pass through. Eventually, we end up with three grades A1 and A2, which sell as specialty coffee and A3/A4 grades which usually sell into the commercial market. There is no difference in quality between A1 and A2 grades, only density. Once the parchment is separated into grades, it is given a final post wash rinse. At this point, coffee is then taken to a pre-drying area where the parchment is hand-sorted removing any insect damaged, discoloured or chipped coffee. Finally, parchment is laid out to dry and turned on a regular basis throughout the day. During our supplier’s visit to Rwanda in May this year, this lot was identified as a high quality microlot, and separated as an example of exceptional quality from the station.

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