Rwanda - Gitwe

Country: Rwanda Region: Gitwe cell, Karambi sector, Western Province Farm / station: Gitwe Producer: RTC (Augustin – station manager) Altitude: 1800 m a.s.l. Variety: Red Bourbon Processing: honey Flavor profile: cape gooseberry, black tea, linden blossom, peach Coffee type: roasted whole‍-‍bean coffee

Suitable for espresso preparation for both portafilter and automatic machines, and also for home brewing.

The Gitwe processing station is among the smallest yet also one of the most respected places in Rwanda’s Western Province. It covers an area of less than one hectare in a mountain valley, and its name comes directly from the plot of land on which it was built in 2016. The road to it leads through a picturesque descent lined with healthy coffee trees and tropical fruit. The station is run by manager Augustin, who moved here in 2018 from the capital Kigali for fresh mountain air and a quieter lifestyle, which helped him fully recover from health issues. Despite its small size, Gitwe processes the harvest from 1,020 nearby farmers. Because many growers are of advanced age and transporting cherries to the station in hilly terrain is demanding, the station set up 15 collection points to support the community. All farmers are part of an education program that helps them improve farming quality and sustainability.

For Gitwe, 2022 marked the start of a new chapter with the introduction of the honey method, which adds a new dimension of flavor alongside their traditional production. 1. Picking and sorting: After picking, cherries are checked and go through a process of density separation in a water bath, ensuring that only ripe, healthy fruit moves forward. 2. Pulping: The outer skin is removed mechanically, while part of the sticky mucilage rich in sugars is left on the bean. 3. Drying: Mucilage‍-‍covered beans are spread on raised African beds. During drying, the mucilage slowly oxidizes and darkens, with its sweetness transferring directly into the bean. This process requires constant attention and regular turning so drying is even and defect‍-‍free. Thanks to the retained mucilage, the coffee gains its characteristic sweetness and a fuller, syrupier body.

Red Bourbon is a traditional Rwandan variety that develops very slowly at these altitudes. This allows complex sugars to accumulate in the bean, resulting in deep sweetness and pronounced fruity notes, which the honey method highlights even further.