Rwanda Mbizi

Tasting notes: Citrus, brown sugar, sweet tea.

In the Cup

The care and attention given this coffee is evident in the intense sweetness that dominates the cup profile.  This is a separation lot that features only the densest, ripe fruit.  Rwanda is one of the few producing countries still growing the heritage Bourbon varietal almost exclusively.  The distinct citrus and brown sugar notes that emerge as the cups cools are characteristic of the varietal.  Overall, this is a round, sweet, and juicy coffee that excels in a pour-over preparation.

For espresso lovers, this coffee is dynamic and complex, but is also rich enough to work well in a milk drink.  At standard parameters (17g dry coffee : 34g espresso : 26 seconds) on our lab setup (La Marzocco Linea Mini + Mahlkonig X54 grinder), we found it a bit tart.  At 17g : 42g : 29 seconds, it was sweet and balanced.  Juicy lime acidity and black tea dominates when hot.  Rich dark chocolate and tart plum notes emerge as the cup cools.

Origin and Producer

Ripe cherries are carefully selected, first by hand and then by floatation in clean water tanks at the Mbizi washing station. The cherries are then de-pulped and dry fermented for 12-18 hours. After fermentation the coffee is washed with clean high pressure water in grading channels which also serve to further sort the coffee by density (the denser beans being of the highest quality selected for this microlot). The coffee is then dried in the sun on raised beds for 14-21 days depending on climatic conditions.