The overview
Countries of origin | Rwanda |
Producer | Kayego Washing Station |
Altitude | 1700m |
Varietal | Bourbon |
Process | Washed |
The producer
The Kageyo washing station is located in the Kageyo sector in Rwanda's Western Province, in the Ngororero District. The station itself is around 15km outside of the small Ngororero Town.
At 2013 metres, the station covers a tiny area of just 1.3ha. Built in 2009, RTC took over the management of Kageyo in 2013. Today the management is overseen by Jean de Dieu Iyamuremye with 6 full time staff the year round and around 80 seasonal staff during the harvest months.
The coffee
Kageyo is also the name of the hill where the washing station seats, and just a few meters from the station, there is a historical site where the King of Rwanda had built a palace as one of the places he would stay if he was visiting the region. The first European, a German Count Von Gotzen who arrived in Rwanda in late 19th century, travelled all the way to Kageyo to meet Rwabugiri, the king of Rwanda at the time. The high elevation and good rain fall of this historical place, couple with fertile volcanic soil make it one of the best places to produce a great cup of coffee.
Why we love it
Rwandan coffee have the most wonderful aroma, and the Kayego is a great example of the red fruit notes that Rwandan coffee all have.
Jennifers's Brew Guide
Out: 31-33g
Time: 24-26s
Water: 305g
Ratio: 1:17
As an espresso, expect bags of caramel and a long sweet finish.
Flavours of Rwanda
If you’re a fan of Ethiopian and Kenyan single origin beans then you’ll love Rwandan coffee. The country is known for its Bourbon coffee beans in particular. These tend to have a full, creamy body that creates a heavy mouthfeel. The coffee also tends to be quite sweet with heavy overtones of caramel, cane sugar, cloves, and cinnamon. As is the case with other coffees from Africa, Rwandan coffee has pronounced fruit flavors. Depending on the specific coffee expect to taste lemon, oranges, and other citrus fruits. It’s also common to taste cherries, grapes, blueberries, and raspberries.
Despite the creamy body, Rwandan coffees have a clean and bright acidity. As a result, they can be easily enjoyed as either hot or iced coffee.