Rwanda | Janja Hill

This coffee comes from 11 small holder producers growing coffee on the Janja Hills in the Northern province of Rwanda. This is our second year buying coffee from Janja Hill, processed at the Muzo washing station and once again the coffee is incredible. We are finding an impressively clean profile with notes of hibiscus, lemon lime, dates and bergamot.

Emmanuel Rusatira, the owner of Baho Coffee, operates a number of washing stations throughout Rwanda. We have had the pleasure of meeting Emmanuel several times over the years, and his positive energy is contagious. What is most inspiring about his work is his dedication to advancing transparency and traceability in Rwandan coffee. This separation from Janja Hill is a prime example of that commitment. Farmers in this area produce very little coffee, making single-producer lots nearly impossible. With this hill separation program, we are able to taste the differences between various microclimates within Rwanda. So far, Janja Hill has produced the most dynamic profiles we have tasted.

Cherries are collected at peak ripeness and sorted under shade. The cherries are then floated to remove defects. The sorted cherries are then depulped and dry-fermented in open tanks for 8–12 hours. The seeds are then washed and fermented a second time, this time in water, for another 8–12 hours. Next, the seeds are moved through density channels where they are vigorously washed and sorted repeatedly based on density. After this, the seeds are soaked for 12 hours. Finally, the seeds are slowly dried on raised beds for 30–45 days.