Key origin info:

Producer: small-holder growers from the Gakenke district
Processed at: Bumbogo washing station owned and run by Neza Trading Company

Region: Gakenke
Altitude: 1650 - 2000 masl

Variety: Red Bourbon
Process: De-pulped, fermented & washed, dried on raised beds

Exporter: Muraho Trading Co | Importer: Raw Material

Cup profile: Juicy & elegant, toffee apple & tangerine

Purchasing history: First purchase form Bumbogo 2024, purchasing through Muraho since 2021

About Bumbogo, Neza and Muraho Trading Co:

Bumbogo is a washing station in the Gakenke District, owned and operated by Neza Trading Company, partnering with Muraho - our key export partner in Rwanda. Built in 2017, the station grew quickly and now receives cherry from over 520 local farming families. The station is expertly managed by Fidel Munyensanga for the last 6 years and produces traditional washed, honey and natural processed coffees. Muraho not only export Bumbogo’s coffee, providing access to global markets, but also provide further support such as agricultural trainings and seedlings distribution to farmers and assistance in improving the station’s infrastructure. This washed lot is a beautiful example of a crisp, juicy and sweet coffee you can expect from Rwanda.

We had the immense privilege to visit Bumbogo station during our visit to Rwanda in May last year. Only about an hours drive from the capital Kigali, we were taken aback by the sheer beauty of this growing region and the energy of all the station staff. The organisation and focus on quality of the station manager as well as workers is next to none and it certainly shows in the cup quality.

Harvest & processing:

Details provided by Raw Material

All cherry is hand-sorted before a pre-pulp float, underripe or damaged cherry is removed, along with any foreign objects. Cherry is then floated in pre-pulping tanks removing any floaters and later pulped. Next, coffee is fermented in dedicated concrete fermentation tanks for an average of 12 hours. During this time, the fermented parchment is agitated several times through the day by way of ceremonial foot-stomping.  After fermentation, coffee is released into a large serpentine grading channel. This process also separates parchment into different density grades. 

During the washing process, parchment is continuously agitated to encourage lower density parchment to float and to clean any residual mucilage off the parchment. Once the parchment is separated into grades, it is given a final post-wash rinse. At this point, coffee is taken to a pre-drying area where the parchment is hand-sorted removing any insect-damaged, discoloured or chipped coffee. 

The parchment is laid out to dry and turned on a regular basis throughout the day for 30 days.