rwanda akagera

this coffee grows in the kabare sector of north-eastern rwanda — in the akagera region, one of the country's five main coffee areas. the climate is moderate, rainfall relatively low, the soils fertile, and the land starts at 1500 metres; this lot comes from 1650–1810 m. nearly every farm around here lives on coffee or tea.

many of them sit at the foot of akagera national park — the largest wetland in central africa and rwanda's last refuge for savanna-adapted wildlife.

akagera lies lower than the other four regions, so the acidity here is calmer than classic rwandan coffee. in exchange the profile is sweet, berry-and-spice, with a clear floral line. over 95% of the region's coffee is bourbon.

the akagera coffee project was founded by egidome murindabashisha in 2016 in kayonza district — a private social enterprise built around quality coffee and local community work at the same time.

it works with 1150 farmers, each on a typical 1–2 hectare plot between 1450 and 2400 metres. among its partners is the cocamu cooperative, with more than 600 members, almost half of them women.

the main variety is bm 139 (bourbon mayaguez): productive, and still very strong in the cup. rab c15, more disease-resistant, is being planted alongside it. the cherries are processed at the akagera and mukama stations.

processing: natural

the cherry dries whole, with the fruit left on, so the bean sits inside it the whole time and takes on its sugars. in rwanda this is the less usual route compared with washed, and it demands dry weather and constant turning.

that is where the extra sweetness and density come from, and it turns the region's floral line warmer — almost honeyed.

pear, dried apricot, nut.

soft pear sweetness to open, thick dried apricot behind it, and a nutty finish — dry and warm. low, rounded acidity, dense body, long aftertaste. a coffee for people who don't like a sour cup.