Isimbi, RWANDA

Despite its turbulent history, today Rwanda is one of the specialty coffee worlds darlings - for good reason!

At Isimbi, cherry is selectively handpicked to remove any damaged or underripe cherries. Washing stations only accept perfectly ripe cherry, so farmers take more care when they pick to ensure the maximum amount of cherry is accepted.

Cherries are floated to remove those with insect damage or otherwise low density. The cherry is pulped and then wet fermented for 24 hours to remove the remaining mucilage. After fermentation is complete, the parchment is sent through grading canals to separate into three levels of density (A1, A2 & A3). Finally, the parchment is soaked for around 20 hours to improve quality and shelf life and to remove any remaining mucilage.  

After washing, the parchment is removed from the water and is delivered to pre-drying tables to be sorted by hand. Defects are often easier to catch when the parchment is still wet. After this process, the parchment is laid on tables to sun-dry where it is also consistently sorted to remove any remaining defects.

Region: Various, Rwanda 

Variety: Bourbon

Altitude: 1700-2000 MASL

Process: Fully Washed

Certifications: FTO

Tasting Notes: Red Fruit, Sour cheery, milk chocolate. Very Floral.