MORE ABOUT THIS COFFEE

Location: Macuba Sector, Nyamasheke District, Western Province
Manager: Ms. Marie Mukamurenzi
Number of Farmers in The Community: 1650
Altitude of The Farms: 1700 - 2100 MASL(Meters Above Sea Level)
Average Yearly Rainfall: 1300-1400 mm
Soil: Acidic Soil
Key flavor notes: Complex, smooth body and Black tea

How was this coffee processed?

Before the coffee beans are shipped to the US, they go through a series of careful processing steps to ensure the highest quality possible. One of the most important steps is proper harvesting of well ripe cherries. When fresh red cherries are picked, they are received at the Gasharu washing station where they are sorted and floated to ensure consistent and good density beans are separated from the others. Once the cherries are picked and brought to the washing stations, cherries are floated and pulped with a disc pulper. Parchment then goes into a dry fermentation for 12 to 14 hours before mucilage is washed off.

Beans are graded by density in the grading channel with very clean water that separates them into three different qualities: Grade A, Grade B, Grade C. Coffee is then hand-sorted at the pre-drying tables and then dried on raised beds with a mesh bottom, allowing for more circulation of air. The coffee is air and sun-dried between 9 am and 3 pm depending on the sun's intensity. The drying process takes 14 to 20 days depending on the weather. When dried, the coffee is well kept until it is hulled and sorted by experienced women before being packed in Grainpro and Jute bags for export. These bags ensure optimal quality despite the long journey from Rwanda to Baltimore that takes over 2 months on the tracks and international waters. Once received here, the coffee beans are roasted and profiled before packaging to them make them ready for coffee lovers.

Gatare Washed