Regional Profile: Kayonza
Each blend of coffee we craft is inextricably connected to the land and people who produced it, and each region we work in has its own incredible community, flavors, and story. Read along as we profile our regions so you can connect to each location and community with purpose.
Farmers: 800+ in and around Murama Cell, Rwinkwavu Sector, Kayonza District
Variety: Jackson 2/1257 & Bourbon Mayaguez 139
Process: Washed & Sun Dried on Raised Beds
Elevation: 1400 Meters
Cup: Rum Raisin, Cocoa, Cinnamon, Nutmeg
Heading East from Rwanda’s capital city of Kigali, the road winds and climbs over slight hills before descending towards the flatter, open plains of the Eastern Province and eventually Kayonza District, bordering Tanzania and home to Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s primary game park. Historically this region hasn’t been a large coffee producer due to its slightly lower elevation and dryer climate, but within the past 2 decades the Ministry of Agriculture has increased its investment in the area and many exemplary, high-scoring coffees have been produced.
At Akagera Coffee Project, a washing station supported by Kula in its foundation, coffee cherries are collected and processed each year between March and July, from more than 800 small-holding farmers. The average farmer owns around 500 trees, and most farms are quite young, with most farmers having begun their coffee ventures within the last 10 years, and many having planted coffee for the first time since Kula has provided coffee tree seedlings within the last 5 years.
Ripe cherries are collected each day during harvest, paid for upon reception, and floated in water to separate them based on density. Cherries are then processed in day lots, passing through a Penagos de-pulping machine before water grading and dry fermentation, for 8-12 hours. Once the remaining mucilage is adequately loosened, the parchment coffee is graded again in water-filled channels before being separated into tanks of A and B qualities and undergoing a soaking, or wet fermentation, for up to 12 hours. After being removed from these tanks the parchment is hand-sorted and checked for any defects, with sorters removing underripe, overripe, insect-damaged or broken beans. From the sorting table the parchment is laid out on raised beds, turned and sun-dried over the next 14 days, before being removed at an average moisture content of 12%. Dried parchment is stored in bags on wooden pallets until it is brought to an external dry mill for processing, screening and export preparation.
Eastern coffees tend to present richer, chocolate and earthy notes, and in this specific coffee we find raisin, cocoa and earthy spice.
