This lot comes from the Jarama farm in Western Rwanda, one of three estates owned and operated by Kivubelt in the Nyamasheke region. Kivubelt was established in 2011 by Furaha Umwizey (born and raised in Rwanda), who envisioned a coffee model as sustainable in agriculture as it is impactful in local employment and empowerment. Kivubelt currently employs 400 people during harvest months and acts as a coffee vocational school for local smallholders interested in improving their coffee farming. Kivubelt has also acquired two washing stations, Murundo and Jarama, which combined not only process coffee from the company’s estates, but also that of more than 500 smallholders in the region, offering quality premiums and training programs for participating farming families.
The Nyamasheke district in Rwanda is gifted in terroir when it comes to coffee growing. The cool, humid climates of both Lake Kivu and the Nyungwe Forest National Park keep groundwater abundant throughout the uniquely mountainous region. Kivu itself is part of the East African Rift whose consistent drift creates volcanic seepage from the lake’s bottom, enriching the surrounding soils. Coffees from this region are often jammy and sweet with complex tropical fruit and sweet green notes. This lot is no exception, offering up a cup that displays the best of one of Rwanda’s most prolific coffee growing regions.
Unparalleled quality, a human story, and sustainability – that’s our coffee philosophy.
