Limited Edition Organic Rwandan Roast

We are excited to announce a new line of limited edition roasts! These coffees will be truly one of a kind, created from unique coffee beans that we carefully source from all over the world. We will be roasting the beans in small batches, and they will only be available for a limited time.

The first coffee in this series is an Organic Rwandan Roast, available now!

ORIGIN OF THE BEANS

The Charleston Coffee Roasters Organic Rwandan is a single origin from the mountainous Eastern African country of the same name. More specifically, the beans are from the Nyamyumba and Kayove areas in the Southern Bugoyi district of Gisenyi in western Rwanda, and were grown and processed for us by the Coopac cooperative.

Charleston Coffee Roasters Organic Rwandan Roast - Coopac Coffee Fields

These beans come from the fruit of Bourbon trees grown at an altitude of 1400-1850 masl on the mountain slopes surrounding beautiful Lake Kivu. Grown in rich volcanic soil, the trees are shade grown with only organic fertilizers used throughout the growing process. The carefully hand-picked beans are processed using the wet method. The washing process intensifies the flavors of the coffee while reducing its bitterness, which is something we look for to produce our signature smooth tasting roasts. After cleaning and a fermentation process, the beans are sun dried on raised beds for no less than three weeks.

Charleston Coffee Roasters Organic Rwandan Roast - Drying Coffee Beans

We are proud to support coffee growers that support Fair Trade practices, like the Coopac cooperative. The group began in 2001, and has since grown to over 8000 members from six different coffee growing regions in Rwanda. Coopac is committed to Fair Trade initiatives that guarantee farmers get a fair price for their beans, as well as community improvements such as schools, health care clinics, roads and bridges. In recognition of their efforts to improve the quality of the coffee beans from the region, Coopac has won several first place awards in the Coffee Cup of Excellence!

 

TASTING NOTES

The temperature of brewed coffee is important, as heat can mask imperfections. So we taste our coffees hot, warm and at room temperature. When we select a coffee to purchase, it needs to have a great taste when cooled. Many other coffees taste great hot, but at room temperature they may exhibit a sharp or harsh taste. We are proud that all of our coffees are smooth and flavorful at any temperature.

Charleston Coffee Roasters Organic Rwandan Roast - Cupping the Sample Roast

For this special Organic Rwandan release, we started by roasting just a sample of the beans to a lighter roast, so that we could assess the intrinsic flavors in the beans. At the first cupping, the roasting team smelled bright citrus notes, like lemon and sweet orange in the fresh grounds. We also detected some fruit and floral notes reminiscent of raspberry and hibiscus, and a sweetness similar to brown sugar.

A few noisy slurps of the freshly brewed coffee showed a well-balanced cup that was bright with those same citrus notes, along with a rich mouth feel and a smooth lingering finish with just a hint of sweetness. Everyone in the room kept remarking on the delicious and unique taste of this coffee, and kept going back for another cup.

Charleston Coffee Roasters Organic Rwandan Roast - Skimming the Sample Roast

After comparing notes, the roasting team decided that they liked the flavor profile of the sample roast so much that they would roast the final batch of beans in a similar fashion. So we took the Organic Rwandan beans to what we call a Medium Roast, and it’s now available for you on our web store. Be sure to grab a few bags because we only have a limited number available! We hope you will enjoy this special coffee as much we enjoyed roasting it for you.

Charleston Coffee Roasters Organic Rwandan Roast - Beans Cooling