Country: Rwanda
Processing: Fully Washed
Varietal: Bourbon
Region: Rutsiro District, Western Province
Rwanda Kirorero comes from one of the country's most remote washing stations, accessible only by boat after an hour-and-a-half journey across Lake Kivu. Tucked in the steep walls of the Gasuma valley at 1,470-1,900 metres above sea level, the Kirorero washing station serves 1,511 smallholder farmers, approximately 800 of whom are women. Run by Coopérative pour la Promotion des Activités Café (COOPAC), this station receives cherry delivered by foot, bicycle, and boat from farmers who lack direct road access – meaning all processed coffee must be consolidated and transported up the lake by boat to reach the export point.
Remote but beautiful, Kirorero exemplifies COOPAC's mission to enhance farmers' quality of life through cooperative organization. Growers are structured into two first-tier cooperatives – KOTWIBAKABO and COPROCUCAMU – ensuring strong community support and sustainable practices. The result is a classic Rwandan Bourbon with the clean, complex cup profile that this high-altitude growing region is celebrated for.
