In the world of specialty coffee, Red Bourbon is often one of the first coffee varieties many budding enthusiasts come to know by name. Rwandan Red Bourbon is particularly renowned, and has famous potential for jammy fruit flavours. This particular lot, roasted by our friends at Quaffee, is a washed lot, meaning that the coffee cherry’s skin and fruit was removed entirely prior to the drying stage of its processing. While this may make the fruity notes associated with Rwandan Red Bourbon somewhat less prominent, it should also promote greater clarity and brightness in your cup. That’s why it’s still the preferred processing method for Rwandan specialty coffee exports.

This coffee was grown by numerous smallholding farmers in Rwanda’s Northwestern Nyabihu district, whose close proximity to the Virunga Mountain range provide it with the high-altitude and rich, volcanic soil Red Bourbon tends to thrive in. These farmers are organised under Vunga, a woman-led coffee farmer cooperative that provides material and educational resources to its members, as well as access to washing local washing stations and international markets. Vunga aims to empower its members to improve their harvests and thereby improve their livelihoods and those of their surrounding communities. 

Vunga works closely with Muraho Trading Company, a Rwandan coffee exporter founded in 2016 by brothers Karthick and Gaudam Anbalagan. Muraho is dedicated to the upliftment of its partnered coffee farmers as well as the quality of their crop, working closely to support them in alignment with its core mission: to showcase Rwandan coffee and, moreover, the beautiful country and its vibrant people responsible for growing it on the global stage.

Phaedon's tasting notes

This is a quirkily unique Rwandan coffee; it wasn't quite what I was expecting, or have come to expect from Rwandan lots. Instead of jammy berry notes, it has something entirely different to offer. It's decidedly fruity, but much more of the stone fruit variety than the typical red fruit characteristics one might expect. I also picked up some hints of apple in some cups. There's a certain subtle nuttiness on the finish as well.

I enjoyed this coffee in many different brew methods, but it really stood out for as a V60 with a relatively coarse grind, as a siphon, and also as a Frenc press brew.

Quaffee’s notes

• Taste profile: Strawberry, sweet malt with an apricot and citrus finish
• Roast used: Flame throughout the roast until first crack where the development was extended
• Roast degree: Light
• Quaffee brews:
• Espresso: 1:2.1
• AeroPress: 17g:200g
• Plunger: 50g:800g
• Pour-over/filter: 20g:300g

Coffee details from Quaffee

• Country: Rwanda
• Region: Nyabihu District
• Farmers: 278 smallholding farmers, delivering their harvest to Vunga Washing Station
• Altitude: 1450 - 1600 masl
• Processing: Washed
• Variety: Red Bourbon

Quaffee’s transparency information

• Sourced from: Zuka Green
• FOB price: N/A
• Cupping score: 83.5 (Quaffee’s)
• Lot size bought: 25kgs
• Relationship: This is Quaffees second time sourcing from this cooperative

“For us at Quaffee, we have experienced a varied quality from Rwanda, and have been very selective about the coffee we offer from Rwanda. We have been convinced by Zuka’s experience to once again offer a Rwandan, hoping it will be the beginning of a new strong relationship.”