Marie Bedabasingwa ( Filter Roasted )

COUNTRY: Rwanda

PROVINCE: Northern Province

DISTRICT: Gakenke District

SECTOR: Ruli Sector

WASHING STATION: Ruli

ELEVATION: 1,960m above sea level

VARIETY: Red Bourbon

PROCESSING: Washed

FARM SIZE: 600 trees

FARM OWNER: Marie Bedabasingwa

WASHING STATION OWNERS: Dukunde Kawa Cooperative

It is very rare to be able to get a coffee that is traceable back to a single producer in Rwanda, so we feel extremely fortunate to be able to share this special lot from Marie Bedabasingwa.

Most of the coffees we source from Rwanda are traceable back to a washing station, or sometimes a farmer group. Most washing stations in Rwanda receive cherry from hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of farmers who own very small plots of land – on average less than a quarter hectare, with just 300-600 coffee trees. Separation of such tiny lots is expensive and impractical, so the large majority of coffees are processed as a mixed lot from multiple producers. Typically, lots are separated as day lots (ie. cherries that were all picked on the same day) rather than by a single farm or producer group.

Single producer micro-lots like this one are extremely rare, especially from such a small producer (Marie owns 600 trees). One of the reasons this lot separation is possible is that Marie is a member of the Dukunde Kawa Cooperative, who own their own dry mill where they can process smaller lots individually, whilst minimising cost and maintaining excellent quality standards.

On delivery the cherries are inspected and sorted by hand to ensure only the very ripest cherries are processed. They are then sorted by weight and pulped on the same day. After pulping, the coffee is fermented overnight for around 12–18 hours and then graded again using floatation channels that sort the coffee by weight. The beans are then soaked for a further 24 hours, before being moved to raised screens for ‘wet sorting’ by hand.

As with most washing stations in Rwanda, women do the majority of hand-sorting. This takes place in two stages – on the covered pre-drying tables and on the drying tables. Next, the beans are moved onto the washing station’s extensive raised drying tables (‘African beds’) for around two weeks, turned regularly and protected from rain and the midday sun by covers, ensuring both even drying and the removal of any damaged or defective beans.

RECOMMENDED Suitable for Filter brewing methods and French press.

**NOTE FOR DELIVERY** An order placing BEFORE 2 PM will arrange on next day delivery. An order AFTER 2 PM will deliver on the next following days.