Rwanda - Kilimbi (Washed)

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Origin: Rwanda, Nyamasheke District

Process: Washed

Altitude: 1600 - 1650 masl

Varietal: Red Bourbon

Washing station: Kilimbi

Harvest: 2024

Tasting notes: Clementine, caramel, cocoa nibs.

WHY WE LIKE IT

This coffee is bright and has a juicy acidity that reminds us of clementines. It also has a very well-integrated sweetness, with caramel nuances. The body is light-medium, silky and balanced.

It has a clean and long finish, with echoes of cocoa nibs and soft spices.

If you drink it alone, the fruity juiciness will be accentuated, and if you drink it with milk, the caramelized sweetness will be more present.

RECIPE

For filter:

We used 18 grams of ground coffee and 290 grams of final water at 93 ºC, in a total time of 2'30". We make three pours:

1. Pouring 50g of water in 30"
   
2. Pour up to 185 gr of water in 1'10-1'30"
   
3. Pour up to 290 gr of water up to 2'30"

For espresso:

It uses 17 grams of dry coffee to extract 43 grams of total beverage in a cup in a time of 27 to 30 seconds.

HISTORY

Kilimbi is one of the first two washing stations to receive NAEB approval to produce natural and honey processed coffee in Rwanda. Kilimbi’s altitude is ideal for the production of exceptional washed, honey and natural coffees. The drying beds are spread across a large open plain, where airflow and sunlight have maximum exposure to the coffee as it dries. Built in 2016, this washing station is the birthplace of Muraho Trading Company, being its first washing station.

A peculiarity of Kilimbi is that it is only accessible by boat, and farmers cross Lake Kivu to deliver the harvests from their farms. Its estimated annual production is approximately 33,300 kg of ground green coffee, each harvest processed into volumes of natural, washed and honey coffees.

Muraho Trading Co. helps member cooperatives improve the quality of their production, obtain a higher price for their coffee and access new markets. This will be an ongoing work over the coming years, as a greater understanding is gained of the particular challenges faced by coffee producers in Rwanda.

Through this process, a model is developed that creates incentives to engage producers while maximizing impact.

VARIETY AND PROCESS

All cherries are manually sorted before a flotation process prior to pulping, removing any unripe or damaged cherries, along with any foreign objects.

The cherries are then subjected to flotation in pre-pulping tanks to remove floating cherries and are subsequently pulped. The coffee is then fermented in fermentation tanks for an average of 12 hours. During this time, the fermented parchment is stirred several times a day by a ceremonial foot-stomping ritual.

After fermentation, the coffee is released into a large sorting trough. During the washing process, the parchment is continuously agitated to make the lower density parchment float and to remove any adhering mucilage. Once the parchment is graded, a final rinse is performed after washing. At this point, the coffee is taken to a pre-drying area, where the parchment is manually sorted by removing any insect-damaged, discolored, or broken beans. The parchment is then spread out to dry and turned regularly throughout the day for 30 days.

The varietal of this coffee is red bourbon.

Bourbon is an ancient variety, originating from the island of Bourbon (now Réunion) and derived from Arabica coffee plants that arrived from Yemen in the 18th century.

Red Bourbon is a specific sub-variety characterized by producing red cherries when ripe. It has been widely cultivated in Rwanda, where the climate and volcanic soils maximize its potential. It represents a standard of quality and tradition in the region.