Rwanda Karambi – Washed Green Coffee (1 kg)

Origin: Nyamasheke, Western Province
Producer: 755 smallholder farmers, Karambi Washing Station
Growing altitude: 1,700–2,000 meters above sea level
Varieties: Bourbon
Process: Washed
Harvested: 2025

In Rwanda’s Western Province, along the steep shores of Lake Kivu, lies one of the country’s most productive coffee-growing regions. Here in the Nyamasheke District is Rwanda’s highest concentration of washing stations, and one of them is the Karambi Washing Station —located right next to the biodiverse Nyungwe Forest National Park. The combination of high altitudes, mineral-rich volcanic soil, consistent rainfall, and cool breezes from Lake Kivu provides a long and stable ripening period, and the sloping terrain around the lake has become synonymous with high-quality Rwandan specialty coffee. Rwanda is one of Africa’s younger coffee-producing nations—it wasn’t truly established until after the 1994 genocide — but in just two decades, the country has built a reputation for clean, elegant, and floral cups that today stand up to any other African origin.

The station receives berries from 755 small-scale farmers and has a workforce that can number up to 120 people during the peak harvest season. The quality control process is meticulous: floatation followed by visual sorting, pulping that removes up to 80% of the mucilage, fermentation for ten hours, rinsing in clean water, and finally slow drying on raised beds with regular turning. This lot consists exclusively of Bourbon —the classic variety that forms the backbone of Rwanda’s coffee production and which, at these altitudes, develops exceptional aromatic clarity. The green coffee has good density and responds best to a light to medium roast —ideal for filter and pour-over brewing, where the floral aromas and fruitiness have the most room to express themselves.

In the cup, this is a well-rounded and fruity coffee with a soft floral note that carries the flavor all the way through. Milk chocolate, peach, and apricot blend with citrus, grape, and raspberry, while the finish offers a light vanilla sweetness and hints of black tea. A harmonious, multifaceted cup—a green coffee for the home roaster seeking African elegance in its most balanced form.

This green coffee arrived at the roastery on February 3, 2026, and is from the 2025 harvest.