Relationship
We have worked on this coffee with our good friends at Falcon Coffee. Falcon first started their Rwanda visits in 2022 and Gitwe Site was one of first microlot producing washing stations they have visited with RTC (Rwanda Trading Company).
We were looking to bring in a couple of natural/alternative fermentation coffees and as admirers of Rwanda coffees seeing a honey process Rwanda got us excited. For this round of natural/alternative fermentation coffees we cupped 42 coffees in a total of 9 rounds and whenever this coffee was on the table it consistently stood out. On the cupping table it had medium plus pear sweetness, medium melon acidity with baking spices finish.
Country
One of the smallest and most densely populated countries of Africa, Rwanda offers ideal conditions for Arabica coffee production with its volcanic rich soils, rainfall distribution and mild temperatures. These factors lead coffee beans to grow slowly and have a distinctive taste.
In Rwanda, coffee is grown along the coast of Lake Kivu and at altitudes from 1350 to 1850 meters. One distinctive element of Rwandan coffees is that soil fertility is maintained through traditional methods, and less chemical fertilizers & insecticides are used at the cultivation.
Region
Located south of Lake Kivu and north of Nyungwe Forest National Park, Nyamasheke district is located in Southwest Rwanda, close to Democratic Republic of Congo border of the country. This region benefits from mineral enriched soil from volcanic seepage in Lake Kivu and ground underwater from Nyungwe Forest National Park. We find coffees from Nyamasheke region to be sweeter with a syrupy mouthfeel.
Processing Station
Gitwe is in fact the smallest washing station of all RTC’s stations in the Western Province. Covering an area of less than 1 hectare, Gitwe is blessed with being situated at the top of a mountain valley at almost 2000 metres. Just 3km from Gatare and near to the town of Kamina in the Karambi sector, Gitwe is the name of the land on which the station is built. Healthy coffee trees and tropical fruit line the trail down to the station from the road above.
Built recently in 2016 and bought by RTC in 2018 who employed 6 staff full time with the addition of 50 during the season. 90% are women. Despite being a tiny station, 1020 farmers contribute to Gitwe’s annual production of 500 tons of cherry, which is all high scoring specialty quality, all of whom have received training through RTC’s training program. Farm sizes range from just 150 coffee trees to 6000 (2.5 hectares). Though most farms are 2-3 km from the station, many of the farmers are elderly with limited mobility and so the area is serviced by RTC through 15 cherry collection points.
Variety
This coffee is strictly of the Red Bourbon variety. Bourbon varieties are optimal to be grown at higher altitudes with average bean sizes and taller trees. Bourbon varieties tend to produce fuller bodies with sweeter profiles with a bright acidity.
Although their cup quality is usually very good, Bourbon varieties are susceptible to diseases and have lower production volumes compared to some other varieties, another reason we are happy to have this coffee in the roastery. Coffee variety is a discussion that does not take place often and some highly sought after varieties (whether for disease resistance or for higher price points) sometimes come at expense of great varieties like Bourbon group.
