March Box
Washed Rwanda and Natural Colombian
This month we have the return of a Rwandan coffee that we featured last year from the Gisheke Washing station. Sourced by Forward Coffee
it comes through this year with a brighter fruit character and sweetness. The coffee we have paired with it is part of a relatively new series of coffees
offered by Inmaculada Farms. This is part of their Fellows' Farm series, a project where they partner with some local small farms to
help improve their agronomic practices to improve the quality of their harvest. They pay a higher premium for the cherries and then process the coffees
with their expertise and infrastructure. This will help bring these coffees to a wider international audience while providing traceability to help these farms
gain recognition and apprectiation for their work.
Gisheke
Washed Red Bourbon
From Forward Coffee:
Josue, the station manager, is highly focused on improvements in all aspects but finds the most fulfillment comes with noticeable impact on processing. These coffees are clean, sweet and showcase a refreshing winey acidity.
The washed coffees at Muraho Trading Co go through a stage of maceration, leading to more juicy, aromatic, fruit-forward flavours in the cup.
This maceration stage is called 'Ikinimba,' and works in a similar styling to the classic stomping of grapes in the production of wine.
In Ikinimba, 6 - 8 members of the processing team will actively stomp and sing a routine of songs, providing energy and activating the coffee for fermentation. Following Ikinimba, the coffee goes through a serpentine channel to sort the seeds, and then is separated into different grades of density, and dried in small separate lots.
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Sourced by Forward Coffee
Origin:
Nyamasheke District, Rwanda
Roast Profile:
Light Roast
Tasting Notes:
Raisin, Dried Plum, Brown Sugar
Brew:
Filter
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We recommend Recipe A in our brew guide
Inmaculada Fellows' Farm Lot 618
Natural Anaerobic Castillo
Being part of the Fellows' Farm series, this specific lot of coffee is comprised of cherries from these four farms with their respective producers:
Villa Eliza - Danilo Larrahondo
Villa Luz - Emilson Mosquera
Villa Jimena Esperanza - William Ramirez
La Estrella - Monica Morera Mosquera
This is a mutually beneficial relationship as Inmaculada pays a higher premium for the cherries from these small producers
who would otherwise have sold them for a lower price to a local coop or the FNC. In turn this allows Inmaculada to scale
up their volume by applying their expertise and infrastructure in processing along with their international reach to larger markets.
These lots provide traceability so the work of the smallholder farmers is recognized.
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Direct Trade with Inmaculada Farms
Origin:
Cauca, Colombia
Roast Profile:
Light Roast
Tasting Notes:
Pomegranate, Blackberry, Dark Honey
Brew:
Filter
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We recommend Recipe B in our brew guide