Floral, Blackberry, Golden Syrup

Producer: Simbi WCS
Origin: Huye, Rwanda
Varietal: Bourbon
Elevation: 1850 masl

This anaerobic natural microlot was sourced from 150 smallholder farmers in Cyenajuru village. These farmers cultivate bourbon varities at altitudes ranging between 1,710 and 1,850 masl. 

About This Coffee

Simbi Coffee is a co-operative group based Huye district in Rwanda's southern province. Their washing station was started in 2011 and opened in 2013, placing 9th in the Rwandan Cup of Excellence in this same year, their first in operation. Since then they have sought to maintain strict standards of selection and processing in order to continue to produce high quality coffees each season. Simbi is composed of 1,850 members, 80% of whom are women.

The Process

Ripe cherries are carefully selected and then fermented in a sealed anoxic vessel for 75-100 hours. After fermentation the coffee is dried on raised beds in the sun for 30-60 days depending on climatic conditions.

History of Coffee in Rwanda

The commercialization of coffee came about gradually in Rwanda and coffee was always produced on smallholder farms. Independence brought some improvement to the coffee infrastructure as the government established more modern and centralized processing. But this meant the government set the price they would pay for coffee and farmers had no other options. There was no focus on quality because there was no incentive whatsoever.

Despite much of the coffee being Bourbon, there was no sorting or grading so all the coffee was commercial grade. Rwanda exported 642,000 bags of coffee in 1993 and 447,000 in 1994. Then, as something of a stark reminder of the genocide, Rwanda exported a mere 22,000 bags in 1995. Today, Rwanda exports only 43% of what it did in 1993, but current exports represent much greater value because for the last 20 years the focus has been on quality rather than quantity. Rwanda’s ideal growing conditions are no longer wasted on poor processing. New washing stations have opened in all coffee-growing regions, innovative cupping labs that arrive built into shipping containers, and cooperatives have been established.

For the last 10 years, Rwandan specialty coffees consistently rank among the finest in the world.