Known for its breathtaking scenery, Rwanda is often referred to as called “Pays des mille collines” in French (the “Land of a thousand hills”) due to its mountainous landscape of interlocking and rolling hills that make up a large part of the country’s geography. The dominant feature is a chain of mountains called the Albertine Rift Mountains that flank the Albertine branch of the East African Rift, which runs from north to south along Rwanda’s western border.

Gihanga is a coffee export project led by Audace Ngabonziza (Ngabo) and Jean de Dieu (Kevin) Nkunzimana which focuses on community-led specialty coffee production that is beneficial for both producers and the local environment, in addition to linking producer communities to the international market through high-quality and affordable coffees. This is a special collaboration and relationship for us, and we work closely with our friends at Queen City Collective Coffee to help make this coffee possible. It’s very special for us when our partners can see their coffee in action, and Ngabo and his wife were able to come hang out at our roastery for a bit while they were in the States over the holidays.

The Muhari Washing Station is located in the Rusizi District of Rwanda’s Western Province, on the shore of southern Lake Kivu, where this rugged, high-altitude geography provides excellent growing conditions for specialty coffee. Through support from Gihanga Coffee, the technical and environmental assistance provided to local farmers through the Muhari Washing Station is building a sustainable foundation for coffee production in the community. Such assistance includes agricultural products like compost and organic pesticides as well as a community-funded nursery. The site also cultivates indigenous tree species which provide many important environmental services to both producers and the wider community.

Rwandan coffees are known for their fruit flavors and pleasant acidity, and this lot showcases both. This lot was grown between 1400 – 1800 MASL and is naturally (also known as ‘dry’) processed. Roasting this coffee brings out the deep fruitiness of grape preserves and ripe strawberries while delivering a sweet, aromatic finish of agua fresca. We’re proud to be a part of such an impactful mission, and we hope you enjoy this smooth, sweet coffee.