Remera Washing Station ~ Bourbon

Beans: Remera Bourbon
Roaster: Home roasting
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area: Southern Province, Rwanda
Grade: A1
Screen: S15
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,700～2,200m
Variety: Bourbon
Process: Fully washed, Dried on African bed
※ Bufcoffee  

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 4 　　          
※Grade 1 to 5

【Impression】
Medium, light aroma, high tone of lime, lemon peel, passion fruits, a touch of pear as a top note, maple syrup on bottom, medium body, creamy texture, light flavor, clear, soothing, juicy but rich, high acidity, white grapefruits, lime juice, orange peel, cinnamon, clove, allspice, molasses, well balanced acidity and bitterness, cacao powder, brown sugar like sweetness, light clean sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.    

【Note】
This washing station is managed by private corporation called Bufcoffee, together with the other washing station Nyarusiza.  These twin stations are wet mills and have been improving their quality since.  Beans are dried on African style beds for two weeks.  This lot has high density of natural bourbon sweetness.  

API, Mushonyi Washing Station

Name: API, Mushonyi Washing Station
Roaster:  Nama mame hompo
Roasting degree: Full-City
Area: Mushonyi, Lake Kivu, Rutsiro, Rwanda
Variety:  Red Bourbon
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Altitude: 1,828m
Defect: N/A
Processing Method: Fully Washed, Sun-Dried

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 3
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 4          ※Grade 1 to 5 

【Impression】
Medium Light, soothing aroma, nutty, raw cacao, echire butter, caramel, a touch of Boysenberry as a top note, mellow, savory, well-balanced sweetness and bitterness, molasses sweetness with raw cashews, maple syrup, raw chocolate, thin layer of mild bitterness on bottom, a tint of fresh red currents like sourness, mellow juicy sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.
Satisfying cup, full flavor.


【Note】
Rwanda produces strong and impressive flavor coffee and has established its status in specialty coffee community.  As 2011 COE winner, API, Agro-Processing Industries, Mushonyi processes clear but full bodied coffee beans. 

Rwanda Intore S15

Name: Rwanda Intore S15
Roaster:  Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting degree: City
Area: the Lake Kivu Region, Western Rwanda
Variety: N/A
Grade: N/A
Screen: S15
Altitude: 1,600～2,100m
Defect: N/A
Processing Method: Fully Washed

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 4 
Acidity: 4 
Bitterness: 4 
Richness: 4
※Grade 1 to 5

【Impression】
Medium light to medium, compound aroma, spicy, pear, anise, dried apricots, citrus, light texture, juicy, mellow, mild flavor, well balanced sweetness and bitterness, cacao, light sweetness of roasted pine nuts, cashews, and almonds, clean, light touch of citric acidity, fresh and fruity sweetness of green grape, light touch of cacao like bitterness and mild tangy-ness of Asian pears as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
This coffee is named after Rwanda’s traditional dance troupes, whicih means "The One" in Swahili.  Although Rwanda is slow growing coffee market, it is the only country to host COE in Africa.  

Rwanda Cotecaga

Name: Rwanda Cotecaga
Roaster:  FourBarrel
Roasting degree: Medium Dark
Area: Macuba, Nyamasheke, Rwanda
Variety:  Bourbon
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Altitude:1,500-1,700m
Defect: N/A
Processing Method: Washed

【Impression】
Light to medium, light smooth texture, fruity, earthy, spice, blackberry, dark cherry, black currents, high passion fruits acidity, refreshing freshness, layer of condensed fruitiness of tropical fruits and dark cherries bottomed with flat stable sweetness, dark sugar, soothing bitterness as a long lasting aftertaste with juicy, clear finish.    

【Note】 Fourbarrel beans at RedRock in Mountain View.  I would say, this may not be as fresh as the one sold in Mission, the main location, but still good enough to sense the roaster.  Although RedRock serves good enough coffee for Mountain View, always wish there are investors to support Fourbarrel to open their own roastery in Silicon Valley.   

Rwanda ～ Kopakaki Dutegure

Beans: Rwanda
Roaster: Akai-mi Coffee
Roasting degree: Medium Roast
Area: Rubengera, Karongi-District, Western Province
        Kopakaki Dutegure
Altitude: 1,500 ～ 1,700m
Varieties: Bourbon
Grade: N/A
Processing: Free washed  

【Impression】
Medium dark to dark, full bodied, fruity citrus with hibiscus aroma with caramel like sweetness, complex flavor: lemony sourness, fragrant flavor of roasted almonds, barley malts like juicy deep sweetness with tropical fruits, mixed fruit-ness of oranges, grapefruits and papayas, a long lasting  aftertaste with citrus sourness.  Unique flavor, which even coffee lovers may have divided opinion. Mocha lover may like this high sourness level flavor.  Serving sugar and milk varies flavor in the wide range, especially sugar makes it unique.  One of the best for iced coffee, water blew.
Special care may be necessary for water temperature to hand-brew methods: sourness enhanced, extracted solely without harmonizing and sweetness suppressed originally, not extracted from the beans.   

Rwanda Muyongwe

Beans: Rwanda Muyongwe
           Tuzamure Kawa Cooperative


Roaster: Akai-mi coffee
Roasting degree: Medium
Area: Gakenke Province du Nord, Rwanda
Altitude:1300m
Grade: SHB EP
Screen: 15up
Varieties: Bourbon
Processing: Fully-washed, 100% sun dried

【Impression】
Clear and light body, Floral jasmine like aroma, airy soothing texture.  Ruby grapefruit like acidity mixed with goose berry, apricot sweetness with a tip of honey, short and light aftertaste.  Delicate feathery touch of bitterness after well harmonized thick layer of citrus acidity bottomed with mellow sweetness.
Soothing and refreshing for early morning, w/o milk and sugar .  No food pairing recommended since this cup is to enjoy taste of coffee.
2nd Cup brew with Kono Method: Light Medium body, silky texture, berry like aroma.  Fresh fruit sweet ness with nutty fragrant flavor , mellow El Salvador Cacao and chocolate like flavor as finish.

【About Muyongwe washing station】
Muyongwe is a washing station has been built as a part of Tuzamure Kawa cooperative system in 2006, located in the Gakenke district of the Northern Rwanda Province.  The coffee at Muyongwe is processed in the Kenyan style, meaning they de-pulp, separate quality by weight, ferment for 12 hours, wash vigorously 4-5 times, ferment for another 12 hours, wash, separate quality by density, and then soak for 24 hours. Finally, the coffee is dried on raised beds.
In 2007, Muyongwe earned the first place in Rwanda Golden cup and earned a reputation for its high quality.  Since then, Tuzamure Kawa has become the core member in COE competition.

Machazo

Beans: Machazo
Raoster: Namamame Hompo
Roasting Degree: Full City
Area:  Ngororero, Province de l'Ouest, Rwanda 
Altitude: 1,600～2,000m
Varieties: Burbon
Processing: Washedm
Screen: N/A
Grade: N/A
2010 COE Winning lot

【Impression】
Medium, aromatique, citric, lemon, orange, black berry, infused with nutmeg, cinnamon, concord grape, cherry.

【Note】
Rwanda is only one COE hosting country in  African continent and this belongs to the top 4% highly selected coffee beans.  Africa is the treasure land for coffee hunters where brings flowering number of hidden and forbidden varieties to the market.  This lot is certainly COE winning lot but not yet this is the top flavor of Rwandan coffee.

Mibirizi

Beans: Mibirizi
Roaster: Nama-mane honpo
Roasting degree: City
Area/Origin: Nyakarenzo, Rusizi, Rwanda
Grade: A
Screen: 15up
Variety: Bourbon
Altitude: 1600 – 1800m
Processing: Fully washed, 100% sun-dried

【Impression】
Light smooth body, airy texture, clear flavor, nutty and chocolaty aroma.  Fruity acidity, clear bitterness, almonds like nutty sweetness.  Well harmonized soothing and refreshing flavor with sharp core body of dark sweetness and bitterness.  Good for afternoon coffee, fresh and clear flavor but not for Morning coffee type.