Coffee Of The Month - Tuzamurane

What’s brewing this month?

From Rwanda, we welcome this delightful Coffee of the Month named Tuzamurane.

This cup is bursting with flavours of Bergamot, Ripe Plums & Toffee Fudge, and makes for a wonderful filter coffee.

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More about the coffee:

Known as the “Land of One Thousand Hills”, Rwanda is filled with lush mountains. In fact, the entire country is at a high elevation - its lowest point is 950 metres above sea level. 

This topography – along with the rich, fertile volcanic soil, high quality bourbon variety coffee trees, and a temperate climate with plenty of sun and equatorial mist – makes it the perfect place to grow high quality coffee.

The vast majority of coffee grown in Rwanda is Arabica, and 95% of it is one of several long-established Bourbon varieties. Coffee is mainly produced by 400,000 or so small-scale farmers, who own, on average, less than a hectare of land, or around 175 coffee trees. The trees are grown alongside other subsistence crops, such as maize and beans.

This amazing washed bourbon grows in the Mageragere area, which is situated close to the trisector of Southern and Eastern Provinces and capital city of Kigali.

The name ‘Tuzamurane’  is a Kinyarwanda word that translates roughly as “lift one another up” or “support each other”.

Josie, the head of the cooperative, is also the land owner for the 35 women that form the collective. They have been growing coffee for around 13 years. The women have been wanting to work with Kinini for agronomist support and washing station services as their reputation in the area has grown. 

In Rwanda, there are laws regarding which washing station you can deliver to. Kinini had to apply for a special licence in order to provide this service, and Tuzamurane are the first outside of the traditional catchment area in the Northern Sector to be able to work with Kinini in this way.

This women's emancipation within Tuzamurane has huge meaning in Rwandan society. One of their members, Marie-Chantal, couldn't say it better: “Before Kinini came along, we were just women and we had to stay at home. Now we get up, go to work and we have a voice at home. We have gained respect in our homes. Our husbands respect us for who we are as people. We are equals now.” 

This lot is processed using the washed method; ripe cherries are selectively hand picked and brought to the central collection centre for onward transport. The cherries arrive at the Kinini washing station by 4pm that same day for processing.

The clean cherry is then fermented whole for 24 hours before being pulped, fermented, and washed again. The beans make their way to the raised drying beds via water density channels after undergoing a 24 hour soak in fresh, clean water.

We have roasted this Rwandan bourbon to accentuate its best features: this varietal is typical for notes of citrus and dried fruits, with a toffee mouthfeel and a  juicy aftertaste.

Bursting with flavours of ripe plums, blueberries and blackcurrant, the bright juiciness of this cup is backed by more subtle hints of black pepper that work beautifully with the coffee’s toffee-fudge sweetness. Radiating from the cup are delicate, floral bergamot notes with a warmingly cosy aroma of rum-stewed raisins.

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How does Coffee of the Month work?

We produce a brand spanking new coffee, every month. If you’re someone who thinks variety is the spice of life - this one's for you. 

Our Coffee of the Month gives us the opportunity to shine a light on a specific grower or community as we explore amazingly diverse coffees from all around the world. 

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