Rwanda - Mbare

15 EUR

Mbare, Southern Province, Rwanda | Natural | Seasonal The Story The Process The Cup Recipes This coffee comes from Rwamatamu, a family-owned producer established in 2015 by husband and wife team Gaston Rutaganda and Laeticia Mukantwaza, based in Mbare, Southern Province. What they've built over the past decade goes well beyond the washing station. Rwamatamu works closely with smallholder farmers in both Nyamasheke and Mbare, and has developed two community programs that reflect a genuine long-term investment in the people around them. In Nyamasheke, the team runs a Women's Cooperative: Rwamatamu purchased land, provided seedlings and training, and created a structure where local women grow and sell coffee back to them, giving them an independent income source outside of seasonal work, and a stake in the quality of what ends up in the cup. In Mbare, a parallel initiative called the Youth Association brings in locals between 18 and 35, with the goal of passing on skills and keeping younger generations engaged in coffee farming. It's a straightforward answer to a real problem in many coffee-growing regions, the next generation doesn't see a future in the land. Rwamatamu is working to change that. We chose this coffee because the cup is beautiful, but also because of what it represents. This is exactly the kind of producer relationship we want to build on. This lot is naturally processed at Rwamatamu's Mbare washing station in the Muhanga area of the Southern Province. After arrival at the station, cherries are spread out on raised drying beds and sorted by hand. Over the course of 26 to 33 days, they are turned regularly and sorted further as they dry, a slow, attentive process that allows the sugars and fruit from the cherry skin to gradually work their way into the bean. Once dried, the coffee is transported to milling facilities in Kigali, where it is dehusked, polished, and graded before export. Cherries were harvested between March and June 2025 at 1,800 meters above sea level. Effervescent, floral, and fruit-forward, a natural that feels light on its feet. The cup opens with grape soda: sparkling, sweet, and instantly playful. Mixed berries follow in waves, layered, jammy, and full of life. A gentle sweet tea quality runs through the middle, giving the coffee a softness and length that keeps it from feeling heavy. Hibiscus closes things out with a floral, slightly tart finish that lingers in the best possible way. Vibrant and expressive, with an elegance that's rare in naturals at this level of intensity. A coffee that's as easy to love as it is to keep thinking about. Please note that our recipes are just guidelines of how we like to brew these coffees. Grinders, water, and equipment are some of the variables that could change the end result. Take these recipes as starting points, not absolute goals. Espresso We pull our espressos on a Linea Mini R, with water around 100 ppm and a Mahlkönig X54 grinder. We enjoy this coffee at 18g in, 42g out in about 28–30 seconds. Filter coffee We brew this coffee on a plastic V60, with CAFEC ABACA filters and Third Wave Water light roast water. Use 15g of coffee, water at 92°C, and a medium grind size. • 0:00 – Bloom with 50g of water for 45 seconds. • 0:45 – Pour 100g of water in a circular motion. • 1:25 – Pour final 100g of water. Total brew time should be around 2:15 to 2:30. Enjoy the coffee! Origin: Rwanda, Southern Province (Mbare) Producer: Rwamatamu (Gaston Rutaganda & Laeticia Mukantwaza) Washing Station: Mbare Washing Station Process: Natural Altitude: 1,800 masl Varietal: Red Bourbon Harvest: March – June 2025 Tasting notes: Grape Soda – Mixed Berries – Sweet Tea – Hibiscus

Origin

Rwanda Southern Province

Process

natural

Altitude

1800 m