FW1 Baho Ubumwe (Unity) FW Gr A1

Location: Nyaruguru district, Southern Province
Altitude range of farms: 1550 m to 1850 m
Altitude of the washing station: 1550 m
Varieties: Red Bourbon
Average yearly rainfall: 1377 mm
Average temperature: 17,9 °C
Cup profile: Toffee, floral, chocolate, green tea, stone fruit, a touch of herbal. Medium citric acidity and medium body

The land of a thousand hills
Rwanda is known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills" and this coffee comes from a single hill in the region. I name if Ubumwe, which means Unity to represent the unity of Rwandan people after the genocide. Everyone came together to rebuild the country after the conflict. I also like to separate coffee lots by hill because the different microclimates always yield different cup profiles. I also do this to increase the traceability of each lot, to make it easier for me to identify problems and to encourage healthy competition among farmers. If the ones from one hill know that the ones from another hill received better second payments because of the quality of the cherries then they will put extra care into picking the following season. 

The increased traceability has yet another benefit. Sometimes roasters want to support the communities behind the coffee they bought. Knowing exactly where it comes from helps me direct them towards the projects that will help that community. They can also meet the community when they visit and see the hill where the coffee was grown.