Rwanda
Nyamasheke Pb

Washed, Dried On Raised Beds process Ethiopian Heirloom, Bourbon

Flavour: blood orange, peach

Body: Acidity:

If you take a closer look at these beans, you’ll notice something unusual: the beans are a little smaller and more rounded in shape compared to the usual half-sphere. This unusual bean shape is called a Peaberry, often shortened to PB.

Comparing a peaberry bean with a typical bean (in this case, Ethiopian Heirloom)

Normally a coffee bean splits in two during development giving it the typical shape, but up to ten percent of crops can develop as peaberries.

Traditionally in countries other than Kenya, peaberries are not separated out and traded as a separate lot, but our sourcing partners at Nordic Approach have worked with several washing stations and producers in the Nyamasheke region to keep aside the highest quality peaberries, which is why we’re able to enjoy this coffee.

Most Rwandan farmers plant subsistance crops, with only ten percent of farmers growing coffee – but it’s already become a significant crop for trade, generating up around 40% of all export revenue.

Learn everything about this coffee:

Ethical, traceable sourcing

This page has all the sourcing information (variety, process, region, story, importer, and more) that our importers share with us, and give us permission to use.

The transparency helps us talk confidently about the quality and background of our product, and it helps you know exactly what you’re buying.

Learn more:
Coffee page transparency legend
Our coffee philosophy
Our business approach

Fresh harvest coffee

We only source and roast coffee from each country’s latest harvest season (so the green coffee is never older than 1 year from the time of picking, processing and packing). This ensures the sensory qualities are always at their peak and unaffected by excessive ageing.

Roasted for espresso and filter (best enjoyed black)

Roast style: omni. Omni roasts are designed to brew and taste great both as espresso and filter. Our omni single origins generally sit on Agtron values in the ~70-60 value range. So, technically, they are somewhere in the lighter side of the medium spectrum.

Designed for espresso and filter brewing. Best enjoyed black.

Learn more:
Our Loring Kestrel S35 roaster
Our roasting style and approach

Best brewed within days 15-49 post-roast

The ‘fresh is best’ saying doesn’t apply to coffee (contrary to popular belief). Waiting before opening and brewing your bag of whole coffee beans helps develop peak flavour and acidity.

But heads up: if you buy pre-ground coffee, brew it as soon as possible.

Learn more:
Our recommended brewing window

Try our custom brewing recipes

Our recipes and ratios are tailored to our coffee sourcing and roasting styles, bringing the best flavour and feel out of each coffee.

For pour over, immersion, and other filter brewing styles, check our brew guides.
For our espresso single origins, we recommend a coffee:yield ratio of 1:3:

Dose: 20g ground coffee
Yield: 60g espresso
Total brew time: ~24-28 seconds

This is just a starting point! We encourage you to experiment, taste, and adjust to find the recipe that you enjoy the most.

Learn more:
Our espresso brew guide (single origin)
Brewing ratio calculator

Packaging and sustainability

Bags: ABA-certified home compostable (AS 5810-2010)
Labels: recyclable
Valves (only on +250g bags): general waste
Box and tape (online orders): recyclable

Learn more:
Our packaging

Country: Rwanda
Region: Nyungwe, Western Province
Altitude: 1700 – 2000m above sea level
Varieties: Ethiopian Heirloom, Bourbon
Process: Washed, Dried On Raised Beds
Importer: Silo/Nordic Approach
Body: Medium
Acidity: Medium
Tasting notes: Blood orange, peach
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Varieties

Bourbon variety

A natural mutation of the Typica varietal, Bourbon is named after Reunion Island (then known as Il Bourbon) where the French cultivated the Typica plants which naturally mutated.

Ethiopian Heirloom variety

Heirloom (or sometimes Landrace) is an umbrella term that refers to all the coffee varietals endemic to Ethiopia.

The location

Coffee from Rwanda

Since the genocide of 1994, coffee has come to represent a symbol of recovery and regrowth for Rwanda.

The Southern and Western Region region of Rwanda

Centred around 3 main areas; the Huye mountains, the Nyamagabe region, and the Nyamasheke region in close proximity to Lake Kivu

Farm processes

Washed, Dried On Raised Beds process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.