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The Nerdy Bit
Varietal - Red Bourbon
Altitude - 1600 - 1850 MASL
Cupping Score - 85.75
The Producers - This lot is produced by 11 smallholder farmers who deliver coffee cherries to the Karengera washing station. The station is located in Nyamasheke in Western Province, close to Lake Kivu.
Farms here are small, about 610 trees on average. The volcanic soil is nutrient rich and, combined with high altitudes of 1600 to 1850 metres above sea level, provides the ideal conditions for cultivating speciality coffee.
The Process - The coffee is hand-sorted and floated to remove any defects before the cherries are pulped, all within 8 hours of being harvested. It then undergoes dry fermentation for 15-18 hours.
After fermentation, the remaining mucilage is washed off, followed by a soaking period of 15-20 hours. The coffee is then dried on raised beds using the natural sun-drying method, which takes 12-14 days.
To ensure quality, the coffee undergoes multiple sorting stages. Farmers initially separate defective cherries. At the washing station, cherries are floated in a tank to remove defects and bug-damaged cherries that float to the top.
After fermentation, a series of water shoots are used to separate heavier beans from lighter ones. Finally, during the pre-drying stage under the shade, any remaining defects are removed.