Rwanda Rugali Anaerobic Natural
Rwanda is known as the “land of a thousand hills” and coffee is widely cultivated across most of those hills. Coffee is grown as a cash crop by upwards of 400000 smallholders whose farms are measured not in land area but number of trees. The average farmer has 200 trees and will sell their harvest to a local washing station. The first Central Washing Station (CWS) was built in 2001 and with strong government incentives in place that number has grown to over 300. This policy has seen an improvement in quality and added a 40% premium to the export value of Rwandan coffee.
Traceability
Country – Rwanda
Region – Nyamasheke District
Producer – Smallholder farmers supplying to Muraho’s Rugali Washing Station
Altitude – 1450-1600 masl
Specifics – Built in April 2016, Rugali coffee washing station sees an annual production of approximately 54,000kg of milled green coffee each year.
Once cherries are received, they are hand-picked and floated to ensure only those of the best quality continue to the processing stage. These cherries are placed into a deep cleaned fermentation tank. A sheet is then placed over the cherries, which is then submerged with cool water.
The seal created by the water pressing onto the sheeting creates a vacuum effect on the coffee below, creating an anoxic environment for fermentation to begin, which lasts for 48 hours. The water and sheet act as not only a sealant, but a heat exchange, allowing the heat build up to transfer to the water, which evaporates away.
A stabilised temperature of around 25 degrees Celsius ensures that the cherry doesn’t over ferment. This temperature is regularly monitored, and if it falls too low for fermentation to continue, hot water is added to the water pillow, to provide warmth to the fermenting coffee underneath.
Once the fermentation is complete, the water is drained, and the sheet is removed. The now fermented coffee is rinsed and drained of all residual liquid.
To continue into the natural processing phase, coffee is dried in cherry on raised beds for between 4 to 5 weeks. The raised beds ensure optimum circulation of airflow, assisted by the cherry being turned every 30 minutes of the duration of its drying.
Muraho Trading Company (MTCo.) is the brainchild of two brothers who were raised to call Rwanda home. They are driven to showcase to the world what Rwanda specialty coffee is all about. However, not only the coffee but more importantly the people and country that have given us so much. Rwanda has come very far from the horrific genocide against the Tutsi that took place in 1994 to the striving country it is today. This unbelievable turnaround is a huge credit to the Rwandan people and signifies the true meaning of HOPE to the rest of the world.
Phytology
Botanical species – Arabica
Varietal – Red Bourbon
Harvest period – March-July
Process – Anaerobic Natural
Screen size – 15+
Bag Size – 30kgs
Packaging – GrainPro
Application Suggestion
Single Origin
Espresso
Filter
Sensory
Z00107 (2024) – Winy, chocolatey, port, acetic acidity, creamy finish.
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Roast
Light / Medium
Medium