Overview
This is a low intervention washed coffee from Nyamasheke, Rwanda, produced on Kivu Belt’s private farm and processed at their Jarama washing station.
The flavor profile is iconically Rwandan, representing some of our favorite flavors of the region. We taste strong notes of honey, caramel, and praline sweetness, oolong-tea-like tannins, and delicate pear and apricot fruit flavors. It’s an instant classic.
Our roasters liked 4:3:2 ratio of drying/color change/development and encourage a gentle, low rate of rise during the final moments for the sweetest results.
When brewed, the coffee proved user-friendly to our baristas, who noted the interesting and somewhat dramatic (but delicious) differences that brew devices made. Also, highly recommended as a lighter roast option for your espressos.
Espresso Analysis by Tim Tran
The first Crown Jewel of the new year comes to us from the Kivubelt group in Rwanda. The coffee is a fun nod to the just-passed season of flavors, rich in notes reminiscent of lingering holiday dessert. This coffee on espresso really had a way of keeping the holiday cheer going just that needed to touch longer!
My favorite recipes trended towards slightly faster extraction times, although in diving into different recipes, I found the profile to be fairly dynamic and to change in notably different, but still approachable expressions of flavor. The faster extraction times tended to bring forward a much sweeter profile, with a strongly underscored brown sugar flavor driving the flavor of carriage. As I stretched extraction times longer, the domineering flavor spectrum trended towards savory spices and dried fruit.
My favorite shot was brewed with an 18g dose to make 37g of espresso in 23 seconds. This shot carried notes of graham crackers, caramel, apricot, and cardamom. The sweetness was incredibly forward and present in the shot from the nose to the finish and took me almost to a toffee pudding but perhaps just shy. Overall, a fairly clean espresso shot that carried a lot of fun clarity.
My second favorite recipe on espresso was a 19.5g dose to make 32g of espresso in 22 seconds. Tightening the espresso ratio heightened the tactile texture and the syrupy body paired with the flavorful sweetness made for a tasty drink.
This is a fun coffee to kick the year off on a good note! We are excited to be offering a Jarama classic! I recommend a moderate dose targeting faster extraction times. Holiday cheers (for just a little bit longer)!
