A fresh arrival from Rwanda is our treat for this week's release! A washed Red Bourbon varietal from the community washing station Gisheke. This coffee has incredible sticky sweetness thanks to its unique washing process and long drying time of 30+ days. We are finding delightful notes of golden raisins and the complex sweetness of maple syrup.

This washed coffee goes through a unique stage of maceration; this method is called Ikinimba. In this method, 6–8 team members will actively stomp and sing a routine of songs that provide energy and activate the coffee for fermentation. This is very similar to the classic styling in the production of wine. We believe this process leads to more juicy, aromatic, and fruit-forward flavours in the cup!

Gisheke is a washing station that is only accessible by boat or by foot. The terrain is beautiful and ideal for growing and processing coffee; it sits between two steep hills that funnel the winds from Lake Kivu. The station's neighbour is Idjwi Island, which overlooks the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Around 40% of the coffee processed at Gisheke comes from Mushungwe Island!