Kiyonza Hill

Producer: Kiyonza Hill Group (60 Smallholder farmers) - Fugi Washing Station
Origin: Ngoma Sector, Nyaruguru District, Southern Province, Rwanda 
Elevation: 1700-1900 MASL
Variety: Red Bourbon
Process: Washed
Roast Level: Light
Importer: Sundog Trading
Flavor Notes: Chamomile, Raspberry, Honey, Pointed

Woo hoo! This is our second to last release from our beloved lineup of incredible Rwanda's via Baho Coffee and Sundog Trading.  This lot hails from the Fugi Washing Station which processes the Kiyonza Hill groups coffee.

Located in the Southern Province of Rwanda, Fugi is nestled between the Nyungwe National Forest and the border of Burundi. The Fugi Station is turning out some of Baho's top coffees year on year and has additionally served as homebase for numerous pilot projects - like the first women producer group, a parabolic drying structure, and a small composting facility producing organic fertilizers. 

Fugi was built in 2013, but it was purchased by Emmanuel Rusatira in 2016. Since then, he’s dedicated this station to solely producing specialty grade coffee. It’s the third smallest station in the Baho collection, purchasing cherry from around 950 smallholder farmers and producing 900 bags of exportable specialty grade coffee each year. 

The Kiyonza Hill lot is comprised of 60 smallholders cherries and is a part of Baho’s ongoing appellation project surrounding the Fugi Station. The hills are often chosen simply based on altitude, which tends to correlate to a distinct vibrancy and saturation of flavor. The bulk of this producer groups’ farms sit right around the 1900 meter mark.

In Emmanual's words: Kiyonza Hill is a potential hill for coffee of high quality with the altitude above 1850m . Farms are located almost in the same conditions; this will help us to clearly identify the profile, characteristics and other special attributes that we think this coffee may present. We will keep processing this coffee separately and we hope to promote it with our buyers. In Future, we wish to see roasters , cafes, importers committing long term relationships and contributing to the growth, economic development of such types of groups that we are forming.

The initial steps for each process are the same:  First, a day of intensive sorting at the cherry stage, under complete shade, to ensure only the ripest are chosen and any visible defects are removed.  Step two is multiple rounds of floating - filling a large container with cherries and water, discarding the less dense cherries that float to the top of the tank. Cherries are then depulped, and the wet parchment undergoes an 12 hour wet fermentation before being pushed through the grading channels.  Here the coffee is rigorously washed to remove any remaining mucilage and separated by density.  The coffee is then submerged underwater and soaked for a final 8 - 10 hour period; this step is thought to both assist in ensuring all mucilage is removed and also homogenize moisture throughout the seeds for a more even drying process.    

The drying protocol begins by moving coffee onto shaded beds for 12 - 72 hours. This is a unique step in Rwanda, called skin drying, that has two distinct benefits.  First, it sets the trajectory for the entire drying phase by initially beginning very gently and slowly under complete shade.  Secondly, it allows ample time for intensive sorting while the parchment is still wet. 

The parchment is finally moved into a parabolic drying structure that was built at Fugi during the 2020 season.  Within this greenhouse, coffees are completely protected from rain and harsh, direct sunlight. Parchment is turned frequently, and weather conditions are closely monitored throughout the day. The parchment is bagged and stored in a dry warehouse at Fugi until time for milling. Total drying  time for this lot was 25 - 30 days.

So what's the cup all about? Kiyonza Hill is a super pointed and sweet profile.  While hot, floral and berry aromatics float above and translate to the flavor profile of this coffee from hot to cold.  We get some chamomile and tart raspberry vibes that are pleasantly grounded by a slick and coding honey note in the finish. A beautiful and bright washed coffee from the amazing Baho Coffee network.