TASTING NOTES: Apricot, Champagne, Orange Zest

PROCESSING STATION: Akagera 

LOCATION: Bushekeri Sector, Nyamasheke District, Western Province

STATION OWNER: Baho Coffee / Emmanuel Rusatira

IMPORTER: Sundog Trading

ALTITUDE: 1600 - 1900 masl

VARIETY: Red Bourbon

PROCESS: Washed

The Rugeregere Hill lot is a part of Baho’s ongoing appellation project surrounding the Akagera and Ngoma stations (they’re right down the street from each other!). Baho is focusing on smaller lot separations by processing groups of farmers’ coffee together based on the highest quality growing areas. This is the second year that Baho has isolated coffees from the smallholders that live nearest Rugeregere Hill.

In Emmanuel’s words:

Since these are new group that are forming around our cws [coffee washing station], based on on what we think might be potential or unique in the zone, we are want make this model mutual benefit where farmers commit to what we are training them, commit to long and honest / loyal relationship with Baho and of course by focusing on both coffee quality and quantity. Then at the other side, Baho have responsibility of developing them, buying their cherries, marketing their coffee with full traceability and at the end, paying them highest possible price that will make them motivated and happy to grow coffee. we strongly believe that our strength is based on happy farmers that we work with.

Rugeregere Hill in Rwanda is considered as special hill with unique coffee flavor that can't be find anywhere in Rwanda. Many coffee professionals have tested this coffee and they say it is really unique. That is why Baho coffee is trying to mobilize farmers on this hill to do proper farmer maintenance and we will be processing this coffee separately from other farmers. We will keep doing this till we find out a consistent & unique profile of this hill and farmers in it.

PROCESSING

The initial steps for each process are the same:  First, a day of intensive sorting at the cherry stage, under complete shade, to ensure only the ripest are chosen and any visible defects are removed.  The Rugeregere Hill group has specifically been trained in coffee sorting, so they do this step on their farms and then deliver only red cherries to the station. Once at the station, cherries undergo multiple rounds of floating - filling a large container with cherries and water, discarding the less dense cherries that float to the top of the tank.  The densest coffees (sinkers) are reserved to be processed as the higher grade lots, and the less dense coffees (floaters) are mixed in with the rejected cherries from the initial sorting to be processed as lower grade lots.  

Cherries are depulped, and the parchment then undergoes a 14 hour wet fermentation before being pushed through the grading channels.  Here the coffee is rigorously washed to remove any remaining mucilage and separated by density - with the highest density lots being reserved for our selections. The coffee is then submerged underwater and soaked for a final 8 - 10 hour period; this step is thought to both assist in ensuring all mucilage is removed and also homogenize moisture throughout the seeds for a more even drying process.     

The drying protocol begins by moving coffee onto shaded beds for 12 - 72 hours, which is a unique step in Rwanda that has two distinct benefits.  First, it sets the trajectory for the entire drying phase by initially beginning very gently and slowly under complete shade.  Secondly, it allows ample time for intensive sorting while the parchment is still wet - this is important because certain defects (seeds bitten by Antestia in particular, thought to cause the potato defect) can be seen much more easily when the parchment is wet. 

The parchment is finally moved into full sun on raised drying beds, where it’s very frequently turned until drying is complete.  Weather conditions are closely monitored throughout the day, and if certain temperature thresholds are exceeded, workers will focus on turning coffee more frequently or cover the beds with mesh netting.  When moisture content reaches the target of 10 - 11.0%, the drying phase is considered complete.  Total drying times for this lot were between 40 - 45 days.