From the Land of 1000 hills, Come 1000 Cups of Tasting

I first became involved with Rwanda as head judge with the Cup of Excellence in the years 2012 and 2013, where I led national and international juries and the technical support teams including the roasters, to ensure exacting protocol was met throughout the competition. I admired the coffees and the people very much and realized Rwanda was not necessarily known throughout the coffee consuming world as a viable option for specialty coffee.

These coffees were unique to other African origins. Upon being contacted to support the launch of Best of Rwanda by the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) equally supported by the Coffee Exporters and Processors Association in Rwanda (CEPAR) and JICA a Japan International Cooperation Agency, I was honored to once again take on the role as head judge as an independent consultant.

Previously known through exporters and importers and the well-established Cup of Excellence program, the Best of Rwanda is an initiative which is owned by NAEB with the guidance and support of various agencies including USAID. The national and international juries took place in the new NAEB Laboratory, which is ISO certified, built two years ago with funding of a European Union association. The Best of Rwanda was the official inaugural cupping event in the large fully outfitted laboratory built to SCA premium campus standards.

The Best of Rwanda country wide coffee competition and auction supports smallholder farmers and promotes sustainable coffee production. Despite its small size, Rwanda’s diverse terroir offers ideal conditions for growing specialty coffee. There are 400,000 small holder farmers and more than 300 washing stations each above 1600 meters which greatly contributes to the quality of the growing coffee cherries. Coffees grown are Arabica red bourbon. Some People may assume all coffee of Africa is similar or only know the name of Ethiopia as a source for African specialty coffee. In the past, Kenya was the shining star. Within each specialty coffee producing country lies diversity.

The agricultural techniques used, terroir, which includes elevation, soil competition, variety, harvest and processing affect its taste. A short, generalized taste profile exists; Rwanda – shiny citrus brightness balanced with floral and mandarin orange notes, structured and balanced. Reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc with clarity and translucence and honeyed finish. Burundi – might be more like a Merlot, red wine, spices, deep, complex. Kenya- cranberries, Cabernet with dimension, and Ethiopia – floral, intense perfume with clarity.

Rwandan specialty coffee is cultivated by hundreds of thousands of skilled smallholder farmers utilizing washing stations and a system of day lots to separate and isolate individual lots in the competition. Third party auditors who monitored and verified each entry from washing stations and each lot was assigned a code for competition which was verified throughout the sessions allowing each sample to be blind cupped. Washing stations and small holder farmers were allowed to submit only two entries.

This accountability brought responsibility to the entrants to select their best as a first step to quality within the BoR competition. Roasters and consumer preferences have become more sophisticated over the past decade. Ideally, consumers and roasters should be willing to pay top dollar for top quality. Price wars may exist but not to anyone’s advantage particularly to the farmers. In roads to origins have become the norm for “coffee hunters” seeking unique high quality coffees. Collaborations between coffee farmers and buyers are being formed through the relationships built within the Best of Rwanda.

Trust, traceability and quality are the building blocks for future generations of coffee farmers and coffee lovers. Coffee was introduced by Germans in the early 1900s, it is dominated by mainly ‘bourbon’ type of Arabica coffees. Ten years ago, Rwanda’s coffee was 100% fully washed. Today, fully washed may be the top contender in percentage of coffee exported but Natural, Honey and Experimental processing has been introduced to the delight of the consumers and speaks well to the adaptation of the farmers to evolving tastes.

Consumer preferences brought to Rwanda by buyers have influenced the marketing within the countrytoo. Packaging of coffee brands in Rwanda often include farmers or washing station name, roast degree and date of roasting attesting to the consumer growth in sophistication. Steps are being taken in Rwanda to ensure high quality standards in both exported coffee and locally consumed coffee. NAEB and many qualified technicians, consultants, roasters, agencies, AST and CQI trainers, as example, offer education from barista to farmers, cup to processing, and roasting.

This time during my stay in Kigali, I witnessed a massive growth in specialty coffee cafes in the city offering a variety of Rwanda coffee, identified by growing region, washing station or farmers. Kivu Noir and Question Coffee are two that come to mind, there are several. All to the delight of the local population who have taken speciality Rwanda coffee to heart. As with any agriculture product there are challenges. Of note in Rwanda and other African nations, a defect known as Potato Taste Defect, or PTD—occurs in coffees from Rwanda, Western Uganda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In my experience, PTD is a very sneaky defect. It can be noted to occur totally randomly and without any real signs of the defect prior to roasting. It smells and tastes exactly like what the name implies: raw potatoes. It is believed to be a result of an infestation of the antestia insect which attacks the sweetest of coffee cherries. In turn the plant may have a natural defense and produce a chemical reaction resulting in potato taste. NAEB and others are working tirelessly to identify and eradicate this defect.

I will say, cupping with both national and international jurors, there is always disappointment in the cupping room when a sample is disqualified as a result of PTD. I will strongly advise, the defect itself can be just one bean in a hundred if not more beans and may not appear again in the entire delicious lot. To ensure protocol during Best of Rwanda, we did disqualify lots which exhibited the defect as a precaution.

Consumers, roasters and importers alike are looking for unique profiles which offer quality and diverse sensory experiences. Rwanda is working tirelessly to enhance growing techniques and global market reach, hence Best of Rwanda. Best of Rwanda, titled internally as “CUP Rwanda” is a project for strengthening the coffee value chain within the country and upgrading promotions through market- oriented approaches, such as Best of Rwanda. With the launch of Best of Rwanda, farmers are motivated to enhance the quality of their specialty coffee, with value addition to produce and market development.

Two hundred ninety-seven samples were submitted, coded and cupped by a calibrated national jury. Of those, 120 samples moved into the next round. Again, coffees were roasted and blind cupped by the national jury. Eighty samples scoring 87 and above were roasted and cupped and the top 40 moved onto the International Jury, which was composed of 7 countries, China, Japan, South Korea, USA, Bulgaria, Italy and Rwanda. The coffees were recorded, roasted and cupped again through three rounds. Top forty became the top 25. Of which 19 samples were awarded Best of Rwanda.

The cuppers notes from the first place coffee read: Exotic coffee with hints of whiskey, yellow dry fruits, mango, peaches, blueberry, raspberry, roses and pineapples. This coffee is very aromatic, structured, well balanced with honey and candy-like sweetness. It is very sweet, clean and transparent with a smooth mouthfeel. The farmers story, once upon a time, in the lush, rolling hills of Rwanda’s Northern Province, twelve dedicated farmers worked the land with unwavering determination. Among them was Rafael Karasi, the respected representative of this close-knit group. Rafael, along with his fellow farmers, lived in the picturesque district of Gicumbi, specifically in the Giti Sector, Tanda Cell.

Their most prized possession was a thriving plantation of 1,678 coffee trees. The farmers’ journey with coffee cultivation had been a blend of tradition and innovation. They had recently benefited from rigorous training sessions that focused on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). These sessions empowered them with knowledge on how to nurture their coffee trees to perfection, ensuring a high-quality harvest. When the coffee cherries reached their peak ripeness, the farmers harvested them with care.

Rafael, along with his peers, knew the importance of swift processing. Within just eight hours of harvesting, they transported their coffee cherries to the Nova Coffee Washing Station, a renowned facility known for its meticulous processing standards. For this season, the collective efforts of the twelve farmers culminated in an impressive yield of 5,033 kilograms of coffee cherries. Cherries were received with great anticipation. The decision was made to process the coffee using the anaerobic method, a technique known for enhancing the beans’ unique flavors and aromas. The entire process was supervised with the utmost care by Eric Yankurije, the Quality Manager, and Therese Uwingabire, the Manager of the Washing Station.

Under their watchful eyes, the coffee underwent a meticulous transformation, ensuring that every bean retained its exceptional quality. The partnership between the twelve farmers and Nova Coffee Washing Station exemplified the power of collaboration and dedication. Through their combined efforts, they produced coffee that was not only a source of pride for their community but also a testament to the excellence that can be achieved through knowledge, hard work and a shared vision.

And so, the story of Rafael Karasi and his fellow farmers continued, a story of growth, learning, and the pursuit of excellence, all nestled in the heart of Rwanda’s coffee-rich lands. This lot, and others like it, was auctioned on September 12. There was no cost to the farmer as an entry fee and proceeds from the sale of the coffees at auction will be forwarded to the farmers. Join us in celebrating Rwanda coffee excellence.