Tasting Notes: Red Currant, Raspberry, Bell Pepper
Producer: 459 farmers organized around Mbilima Coffee Washing Station | Dukunde Kawa Cooperative
Region: Akanduga Village, Gakenke District, Rwanda
Growing Elevation: 1500 – 2100 masl
Process: Washed
Varietal: Local bourbon cultivars
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This coffee was purchased through Royal Coffee as part of their "Royal Gem" collection. This is one of two of the first offerings we have sourced from Royal.
We came across this coffee when sampling offerings from Royal Coffee to add to our 2025 lineup. You'll find sweet notes in the fragrance and aroma resembling ripe berries. The flavor profile is mellow and balanced, but shows fruity complexity reminiscent of tart candy, peaches, red currant, and raspberries. There is also a subtle hint of earthiness that reminds us of cherry tomatoes and bell peppers. We're excited to add a Rwandan offering to our shelves and can't wait for you to try it out!
Dukunde Kawa is a well-known producer group in Rwanda, as much for exceptionally bright and memorable coffees as for its exceptional business structure: the cooperative carries multiple certifications for its various washing stations including Fair Trade, Organic, Rainforest Alliance, and UTZ, and more than 80% of its workforce is women. Not only that but the organization is located in the Northern province, which, despite its closeness to Kigali, tends to be little-known in specialty coffee compared to the west and south. Since first organizing in 2000 with a single wet mill, years before the majority of washing stations in Rwanda even existed, Dukunde Kawa has received sustainability awards from the SCA as well as placing in the top positions in Rwanda’s Cup of Excellence competition. Today the cooperative has over 2,000 farmer members and multiple washing stations in the Gakenke District north of Kigali. Mbilima is one of these stations.
You can learn more about this coffee on Royal's website here.
