Rwanda Rugali Natural – the Second Single Origin Coffee of the Crema Trekkers Africa Subscription

The second coffee for our Africa Trek 2019 single origin coffee subscription is sourced from the Nyamasheke region of Rwanda. This Bourbon coffee is naturally processed at the Rugali Washing Station and is one of two stations first approved by the NAEB to naturally and honey process coffee in Rwanda.

REGION: Nyamasheke

PRODUCER: Small Farmers, Rugali Washing Station

ALTITUDE: 1,550-1,800m asl

VARIETAL: Bourbon

PROCESS: Natural

GRADE: 15+ Euro Prep

    

 

The Rwanda Rugali Natural Single Origin Roasted Coffee is Perfect for Espresso, Pour Over & Cold Brew!

 

The Rwanda Rugali Natural single origin coffee is a high-quality roasted coffee that is particularly well suited to alternative brewing methods, such as Pour Over, Chemex and Cold Brew.

Tasting Notes: This is a medium bodied coffee exhibiting notes of cola and black currants with a pleasant vanilla finish.

Aroma: Vanilla Pod & Aniseed

Flavour Strength: 7/10

Sweetness: 8/10

Body: 6/10

 

Grab a bag of Rwanda Rugali Natural coffee today!

 

The Bourbon Varietal & Natural Green Bean Processing

 

Bourbon is a parent to a variety of Arabica varieties, named after Bourbon Island (now known as Reunion Island) where it is derived from. It’s a short tree with many secondary branches and on average produces 25% more coffee than the Typica variety. The Bourbon variety is renowned for its exceptional sweet/acid balance. Bourbon itself has gone through multiple mutations and variations since its spread and include plants whose cherry ripens to red, yellow, or orange.

The natural process, also known as dry process, leaves the entire cherry in-tact and dries whole in the sun. This is supposed to allow the bean to take on more of the flavours of the fruit. The cherries are left to dry until their moisture content reaches about 10-12%, then the beans are hulled from the cherry and left to rest before shipping. This method requires a lot less machinery than washed methods.

 

        

Rugali Washing Station, Rwanda

The Rugali Coffee Washing Station, located next to the village of Rwamiko, purchases and processes coffee from approximately 140 family-owned farms in the area. The Rugali CWS was one of two washing stations to be granted approval to produce natural and honey processed coffee in Rwanda, though the process is still strictly monitored by NAEB. The elevation and climate of Rugali is ideal for producing exceptional naturals.

Dried on traditional African raised beds, the cherries are meticulously hand-sorted before drying, to remove any visually unripe cherries. The coffee cherries are then floated to further separate any low-density cherries from the batch to maintain a higher quality of coffee in the end product. Once they are sorted, the coffee is laid out to dry on well-maintained drying beds, with grass and weeds managed or removed from below the beds to prevent excessive moisture. The drying beds themselves stretch across a large open plain for maximum exposure to air flow and sunlight. During the dry season day time temperatures reach 28-30 degrees Celsius and 12-15 degrees in the evenings, which is ideal for gradual drying and is optimal for natural processed coffee. Coffee cherries are turned every hour during the day and consistently hand-sorted as it dries, removing damaged cherries or discoloured pods.

 

        

 

Images Sourced:

https://shop.gardellicoffee.com/sold-out/235-rugali-rwanda

https://www.interamericancoffee.com/rwanda-muraho-trading-co-microlots/

https://www.rawmaterial.coffee/rmnews/2018/7/27/rwanda-burundi-visit-may-2018