Rwanda - Gisheke | Natural - 250G

ROGUEWAVE COFFEE (CANADA)

Origin: Rwanda

Region:Nyamasheke District

Farm and Producer: Gisheke CWS

Variety: Red Bourbon

Elevation: 1650-1850 Meters above sea level

Process: Natural

This natural processed coffee is fruity, syrupy and sweet with tasting notes that remind us of:

Plum | Apricot | Cherry Cola | Vanilla | Yellow Floral

Great on both filter and espresso

This coffee opens up a lot more when it comes to the peak - around 3 weeks after roasted.

Gisheke is a washing station that is currently only accessible by boat or by foot. The times we've visited, we have gone by boat through Lake Kivu. Sitting in the Nyamasheke District of Rwanda, Gisheke is a beautiful terrain and has idealistic characteristics for both growing and processing coffee. Sitting between two hills that funnel winds in from Lake Kivu, coffee is dried fully on raised beds for extended periods of time. These times will get up to 30 days for washed coffees and 40-45 days for honeys and naturals.

Only in operation since 2018, Gisheke is a relatively new washing station on the scene in Rwanda and has already seen the rapid ascent of quality, thanks to the success of Muraho Trading Co and the knowledge they have attained from nearby sister stations. 

Josue, the station manager, is highly focused on improvements in all aspects but finds the most fulfillment comes with a noticeable impact on processing. These coffees are clean, sweet and showcase a refreshing winey acidity.

The natural coffees at Gisheke do not undergo an intentional fermentation. They go through a floating stage, to remove any non-perfect cherries, and then are taken to raised beds to dry for up to 35 days. This long slow dry is thanks to cool daytime climates, cloud coverage, and a great strategy of Gisheke team members constantly moving the coffee around to promote uniform drying.