Rwanda, Lake Kivu Speciality Coffee

Our direct trade San Arabica coffee Beans are strictly high grown (SHG) in the rich black volcanic soils on the shores of Lake Kivu at high altitudes ranging from 1500-1900 metres above sea level (MASL). The conditions at this altitude allow the coffee beans to slowly mature, growing to become hard and dense. The coffee crop is shade-grown structurally and floristically under diverse shade covers while only applying organic and natural fertilizers. Both these organic practices of using organic fertilizers and being shade-grown, all contribute in providing not only the necessary nutritional value but also assists in providing the complex balance of nutrients required to produce a naturally nutrient-rich fruit.

The carefully hand-picked Arabica beans are processed using the wet method. This washing process intensifies the aromatic flavours of the coffee while reducing its bitterness. The beans are first submerged in a water bath for a duration of 16 to 36 hours until they have fully expanded and softened. A mechanical process than separates the pulp before being placed into concrete water tanks to ferment for the next 36 hours. This method of fermentation is critical in breaking down any remaining viscous substances on the coffee beans after de-pulping.

Once the fermentation process has completed, the coffee beans are vigorously washed to separate any remaining pulp and other impurities. The ripest beans are also the heaviest and sink to the bottom of the water tanks where they can easily be collected by the sorters. They are then naturally dried under the sun for no less than three weeks using raised fine-mesh wire netting. The outer layers of the bean are then removed leaving the green coffee which is then packed into hessian sacks.

The green beans are then sent to our selected roaster, roasted to our specification, packaged and sent to our customers.
Our current beans were harvested in April 2019.