Artisan Roast - Kageyo - Rwanda - Washed

Delicious treacle and date like flavours combine with candied citrus, milk chocolate and red cherry in this classic example of Western Rwandan Bourbon coffee.

Kageyo is a smallholder washing station for processing harvested red coffee cherries in the highlands that run parallel with Lake Kivu in the west of the country. Since being built in 2009 Kageyo has consistently delivered the very best Rwandan coffee and now has a global reputation. In 2010 the farmers of Kageyo took 2nd place in the Rwandan Cup of Excellence competition and went on to win first place in 2011. Since then they have continued to showcase elegant coffees and we are delighted to bring their coffee to Artisan Roast.

This is a washed process coffee and processing in Rwanda is similar in style to neighbouring Kenya. One distinct feature of this style (not commonly carried out in Latin America) is to soak wet parchment coffee for up to a day after fermentation is finished. Whilst the origins of this add-on to the washed process is not clear, what is known, thanks to research in Kenya during the 1960s is that some bitter compounds are removed from the coffee in this final stage. This helps reduce bitterness in well processed coffees allowing for sweetness and acidity to shine through with clarity and class. This taste balance is a consistently stand out feature of the best of Rwandan coffees.

This micro-lot from Kageyo is a classic example of why Rwandan coffee has developed a reputation for accessible high quality speciality coffee. Treacle and dates are the primary flavours. Following these, candied citrus, milk chocolate, cherry and vanilla come through on the finish in varying intensity depending on how you brew your coffee. In terms of taste balance, the citrus and grape like acidity sits in perfect harmony with a sugar cane like sweetness. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, rolling on the palette and accentuating the milk chocolate like characteristic.

LETTERBOX friendly (single bag): YES