Red bourbon variety, washed process
Roasted for filter brewing

Dried apricot, fresh cherry, and golden sultana

This coffee comes to us from Kageyo washing station, located near the shores of Lake Kivu in the remote hills of western Rwanda’s Ngororero district.

Kageyo washing station was established as a co-operative in 2009 and rose to prominence by taking top place in the 2011 Cup of Excellence — a national competition that awards coffee producers for cup quality.

Subsequent years were more challenging with a limited production capacity and low prices meaning the co-operative had trouble servicing their loans, paying their farmers, and were bankrupt soon after. Since then, Kageyo has been acquired by Rwanda Trading Company who have been able to provide additional funding allowing for increased production and access to electricity, equipment, and a wider market for their coffee.

Like most of Rwanda, the coffee grown around Kageyo is red bourbon — a variety that has been promoted, supported, and distributed by the local authorities. At Kageyo, the higher altitudes result in a slower ripening period and generally make for a denser, sweeter coffee seed.

Coffee cherries are delivered to Kageyo Washing Station by many smallholder farmers, growing coffee in the fertile highlands, while other food crops are grown at lower altitudes. The cherries are sorted and de-pulped on a Penagos Eco-pulper and fermented overnight to remove the remaining fruit, they’re then washed and graded before drying on raised beds.

This year, we’ve purchased two different lots from Kageyo — #165 and #168. Unfortunately, traceability is hazy around what those lot codes actually relate to but we’ve requested that this information be retained next season.

A little more concentrated and yielding than last year’s selection, we’re finding Lot #365 to taste of sweet dried fruits including apricot, golden sultana, and fig. There’s a gentle cherry brightness and soft floral highlights.

This is our second consecutive year buying from Kageyo and we’ve done so directly with the exporter, Rwanda Trading Company.