KININI - RWANDA

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REGION: Rulindo

PROCESS: Natural

VARIETIES: Red Bourbon

ALTITUDE: 2000 MASL

NOTES: Blueberry ice cream, mango, grape fanta

One of our favourite times of the year at the roastery - Kinini szn is here. This year the natural lot bursts with creamy blueberries, mango and a purple fruit sweetness that reminds us of grape fanta. Throw in subtle florals and dark chocolate and you've got one of our favourite coffees of the year. And it's not even February.

If we're honest, it's not even the incredible quality of this coffee that captures our imagination- it's the story. Kinini Coffee was started by Jaqueline Turner. She first set up the charity A New Beginning in Rwanda in 2008. The charity helped a group of widows and orphans displaced during the genocide in 1994, who were resettled in an area of uncultivated savannah. Jacquie then started growing coffee in 2012 to provide a sustainable revenue stream for the charity. Within years they were producing some of the best coffee in Rwanda. 10% of funds Kinini receive for the sale of their coffee go to supporting a health centre and school.

FROM OUR IMPORTER - DRWakefield

In 2012, 38 of the 252 hectares in the Northern Province of Rwanda were planted with Bourbon Mayaguez 139 seedlings, 2,000-2,500 in each hectare. This totalled nearly half a million new trees, and access to nurseries and supply of new trees continues. This regeneration was led by Jacquie Turner and Malcolm Clear. Not just limited to new trees, new roads were built to improve access for the many farmers that have to deliver their days picking to the washing station by 4pm in order to maintain quality. Coffee is depulped on a 4 disc McKinnon pulper, there are a number of tanks for fermentation both with and without water, leading to channels to both the soaking tanks and then down to the drying beds.

Each raised bed comes with its own marker to ensure microlot traceability and yellow tarpaulin for quick covering in case of rain. The Improvements now encompass a roasting facility, covered with a donation from our Full Circle event, the introduction of natural and other processing methods in 2019, and more recently a worm bed for turning the coffee cherry into organic fertiliser. There are plans for space to welcome visitors and provide somewhere to stay when visiting. Satellite technology is used to monitor leaf glare from the trees -any changes can be a sign of disease or infestation and early detection pays dividends when it comes to clean cups and good green.

To get the best from your coffee please take a look at our brew guides HERE

ALL PACKAGING IS CARBON NEUTRAL AND WIDELY RECYCLABLE