Washed Bourbon from Rwanda's Western Coffee RegionCoffee Bean Intro:

Premium Rwandan Coffee Beans | Characteristics of Washed Bourbon Coffee Beans from Rwanda's Western Coffee Region

Rwandan Washed Bourbon

Region: Nyamasheke District, Western Rwanda

Altitude: 1700-2000m

Variety: Bourbon

Processing Method: Washed Processing

Rwandan Coffee Development

Rwanda is located in Central Africa and is a landlocked country, surrounded by neighboring countries that are all major coffee producers. In the early 20th century, Rwanda was successively colonized by Germany and Belgium, with coffee first introduced by German missionaries. During the colonial period, coffee production increased significantly, but the exploitation of labor, suppression of coffee crop prices, and high export taxes resulted in suboptimal coffee bean quality, which was also a common phenomenon in commercial coffee development at the time. Best Coffee found that Brazil, which also experienced colonial rule, once produced coffee beans that prioritized quantity over quality, leading to a reputation for poor coffee quality for a period.

It was not until after Rwanda's independence and the establishment of its first official coffee organization, OCIR, that the country began to gradually prioritize coffee bean production. Rwandan coffee production continued to grow from the 1960s to the 1980s, reaching an unprecedented peak in 1986, until political instability in the early 1990s (the Rwandan Genocide) halted the coffee industry.

Today, Rwanda has slowly recovered. After 1995, due to the Rwandan government's vigorous efforts and the support of foreign non-governmental organizations and private groups, Rwanda regained stability. However, this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had a significant impact on Rwandan coffee sales. To help Rwandan coffee farmers weather the crisis, on May 14, Alibaba's top live-streaming host Wei Ya recommended Rwandan coffee beans, selling a year's worth of sales in one second.

Best Coffee recently sourced several batches of Rwandan coffee beans from different regions. One reason is the rapid development of Rwanda's coffee industry, ensuring coffee quality, and the other is that Rwanda is gradually forming distinct regional flavors, setting it apart from Ethiopia and Kenya.

Rwandan Coffee Growing Environment

Rwanda is predominantly mountainous and plateau, with most coffee trees planted on mountains between 1700 and 2000 meters in altitude, earning it the nickname "Land of a Thousand Hills." Most of Rwanda has a mild and cool tropical highland and tropical savanna climate. There are approximately 33,000 hectares of coffee plantations, with 500,000 people engaged in coffee farming. Rwanda's coffee production model is smallholder-based, rather than large-scale enterprises. Although not as efficient as large-scale production lines, the smallholder model allows for greater focus on coffee beans.

Rwandan Coffee Regions

Rwanda's land area is only four times that of Guangzhou. Its small size and similar coffee-growing altitudes result in limited regional differences in the flavors of coffee beans grown in different areas.

Rwandan Arabica coffee bean regions are mainly distributed in the south and west. The Huye Mountains and Nyamagabe region in the south, due to their higher altitudes, produce coffee beans with floral and citrus notes. Meanwhile, the Nyamasheke region by Lake Kivu in the west is known for producing rich, aromatic, and juicy premium coffee.

Rwandan Coffee Processing Methods

2000In the years following internal political turmoil, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded two major coffee development programs, PEARL and SPREAD, aimed at supporting Rwanda's reconstruction. After the implementation of these programs, Rwanda built 46 coffee washing stations, leading to significant economic growth driven by strong coffee bean exports.

Therefore, Rwandan coffee beans currently primarily use the washed processing method. Ripe coffee cherries are handpicked, depulped, and undergo 12-18 hours of washed fermentation to remove mucilage, followed by drying to a moisture content below 14%.

Best Coffee believes that Rwanda's decision to establish washed processing as the primary method during its early development stages was a choice that clearly highlighted coffee flavors. Since washed processing is the method that best showcases the intrinsic flavors of coffee, Best Coffee also recommends washed coffee beans to customers when introducing a coffee region, allowing for a clearer understanding of the region's flavor characteristics.

Rwandan Bourbon Coffee Beans

Over 90% of Rwandan coffee varieties are the early-introduced Bourbon variety and its hybrids, which have resistance to natural disasters. Bourbon coffee was first planted on Réunion Island and introduced to Brazil in 1860, quickly spreading northward throughout Latin America. Some of the Latin American Bourbon coffee beans currently sourced by Best Coffee include Brazilian Red Bourbon, Brazilian Yellow Bourbon, and Colombian Pink Bourbon. However, the advantages of Latin American Bourbon varieties have diminished due to poor disease resistance. In contrast, Rwandan Bourbon varieties still hold an advantage, which is one of the reasons Best Coffee sources Rwandan coffee beans.

Africa's First COE

2008During the SPREAD program, Rwanda hosted its first Cup of Excellence (COE) competition, the first COE in African history. That year's champion lot sold for $18 per pound, and by 2014, the price of Rwanda's COE champion lot had reached $37 per pound, demonstrating increasing international buyer and market acceptance of Rwandan coffee beans.

Rwandan Coffee Bean Defects

Although Rwanda performed well in the COE, it experienced potato defects twice during competitions, a sign of green bean quality issues that directly disqualified the entries. There are various theories about the cause of potato defects, possibly due to contamination by a local insect. However, the recent batches of Rwandan coffee beans sourced by Best Coffee did not exhibit potato defects.

Roasting Recommendations

Due to the bright acidity of Rwandan coffee beans, to highlight this characteristic, Best Coffee recommends medium-light roasting . The deeper the roast, the more the fruity acidity will diminish.

Machine: Yangjia 800N, 550g of green beans

When Best Coffee cupped this Rwandan washed coffee, the dry aroma featured prominent floral and berry notes, while the wet aroma included honey sweetness and nutty notes. The overall flavor profile showcased bright acidity, citrus, berries, nuts, and a caramel sweetness in the aftertaste.

Brewing Recommendations

Best Coffee uses a step extraction method: 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then gentle circular pouring to 125g for the first pour. When the water level drops near the bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Remove the filter when the water level is about to expose the bed (timing starts at bloom), with a total extraction time of 2'00".

Flavor Description

Floral and berry aromas, with pronounced citrus, berries, and plum on the palate. The mid-palate features nuts, and the aftertaste is caramel sweetness.