ETHIOPIA GR1 GUJI
Hambela Wine Process
The renowned Guji region in Ethiopia is celebrated for its high quality and diverse heirloom varietals. The distinctive profile of this coffee with fruit and tropical notes and a complex wine-like character is the result of the Hambela wine process method. Only the ripest cherries are hand-selected before undergoing anaerobic fermentation in sealed stainless-steel tanks for 4 to 5 days at a consistent 25°C. This oxygen-free environment encourages deep flavour development. Once fermentation is complete, cherries are sun-dried slowly on raised African beds for 15 to 18 days. Experience in the cup delicate and sweet ripe notes of mango, lime, and blackberry up front. A juicy body and lemon-like acidity leads to a smooth and lingering dark chocolate finish.
BURUNDI RED BOURBON
NyagashihaWashing Station
Nyagashiha Washing Station is part of the Akawa Project, a collaboration focused on empowering coffee producers in Burundi through sustainable practices and community support. Located in the country’s southern highlands, the station is managed by Jean-Baptiste and works with 1,172 local farmers who deliver Red Bourbon cherry grown on the region’s steep slopes and cool valleys. Cherries undergo double sorting to enhance clarity and complexity, followed by careful washing and drying on raised beds. The result is a vibrant cup with sparkling acidity and a creamy mouthfeel, offering notes of tangelo, apricot, Earl Grey tea, and brown sugar. Through its partnership with the ECOM Foundation, the station supports a local school where students are learning to grow and care for their own coffee trees, linking classroom learning with hands-on experience.
RWANDA BOURBON NATURAL
Kayumbu Washing Station
Kayumbu Station, in the Nyamagabe District, was originally built by the Rwandan army to handle large volumes of coffee cherries during peak harvest. Since its purchase by RWACOF in 2013, the station has become a hub for over 1,055 smallholder farmers, each contributing coffee cherries grown on small plots. This naturally processed lot is only produced at the beginning and end of the harvest season, when volumes are lighter and greater care can be taken. After floatation to remove lower quality cherries, trained staff hand-sort the remaining fruit before sun drying for three weeks. The result is a zesty and fruity coffee profile with sweet notes of nectarine, red apple and raisins. Purchasing coffee from this region supports the Farmgate Initiative, that focuses on sustainable coffee farming practices to attain higher yields.