Rwanda
Mutovu - Rwanda
250g
Cup Notes
Butterscotch / Cola / Green grape / Lemon / Cinnamon
Suggested for espresso and filter
QUALITY SCORE: 88.00
when we roast
We freshly roast to order all coffees on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding national holidays), and ship the same day! Cut-off time is 11:59pm (UTC+1) of the day before the roast day. *We only ship whole beans*
Details
- Producer
- 9 small farmers
- Country
- Rwanda
- Terroir
- Nyamasheke
- Altitude
- 1800-1950 mt
- Process
- Classic Washed - Raised Beds
- Arabica cultivar
- Bourbon
- Picked in
- July 2017
- Arrived in
- January 2018
- Shipped in
- Jute + GrainPro
- Roast profile by
- Rubens Gardelli
THE STORY BEHIND
Mutovu was established in 2012 in the Nyamasheke area of Western Rwanda. It is ideally located, benefitting from rich soils and easy access to many small farms in the area, ranging in altitudes between 1800 and 1950 meters.
Mutovu is a small cooperative of 9 farmers, each with between 1,500 - 5,000 coffee trees. Each farmer supplies their own cherries to the station, in addition to collecting cherries from their neighbours' farms. Its location and ownership structure has made it a great success and despite 2012 being its first season of full production, it was able to produce 20 tons of parchment. Their coffees consistently cup very well, and each year the co-op continue to make improvements at the mill. For example, in 2015, they reinvested to upgraded milling equipment, new drying beds and a brand new warehouse to better store their parchment coffee.
THE VARIETY
Bourbon is one of the most culturally and genetically important C. arabica varieties in the world, known for excellent quality in the cup at the highest altitudes.
It is one of the two main cultivars from which new cultivars are bred, the other being typical. Historical records indicate that Bourbon was taken from the coffee forests of Southwestern Ethiopia to Yemen, where it were cultivated as a crop; recent genetic studies have confirmed this.
Bourbon coffee was first produced in Réunion, which was known as Bourbon island before 1789. It was later taken by the French to mainland Africa and to Latin America.
Bourbon grows best at heights between 1,100 and 2,000 meters and gives a 20-30% higher yield than Typica. It has a commercially viable level of yield potential and growth habit but is generally susceptible to disease and pests.
THE FERMENTATION PROCESS
Washed coffees focus solely on the bean. They let you taste you what’s on the inside, not the outside. Washed coffees depend almost 100% on the bean having absorbed enough natural sugars and nutrients during its growing cycle. This means the varietal, soil, weather, ripeness, fermentation, washing, and drying are absolutely key.
Washed coffees reflect both the science of growing the perfect coffee bean and the fact that farmers are an integral part of crafting the taste of a coffee bean. When looking at washed coffees, it becomes apparent that the country of origin and environmental conditions play a vital role in adding to the flavour.
During wet processing, the pulp (i.e.the exocarp and a part of the mesocarp) is removed mechanically. The remaining mesocarp, called mucilage, sticks to the parchment and is also removed before drying. During this process, the sugars present in the mucilage are removed through natural fermentation or mechanical scrubbing. Mucilage is insoluble in water and clings to parchment too strongly to be removed by simple washing. Mucilage can be removed by fermentation followed by washing or by strong friction in machines called mucilage removers. Fermentation can be done by stacking the coffee outside or placing them under water and allowing nature to take its course. After the sugars are removed, the beans then can be taken through a secondary washing to remove any additional debris, or taken immediately to the beds for drying.
