Origin - Rwanda

Region - Nyabihu District

Process - Washed

Producer - Shyira washing station & local smallholders

Altitude - 2000-2400m

Variety - Red Bourbon

Tasting notes - Pomelo, blackcurrant, rooibos

Built in 2017, Shyira (pronounced sheer-rah) is a station situated at an altitude of 2000m, collecting cherry from neighbouring smallholders that live between 2000-2400m. This is some of the highest- grown coffee in Rwanda, and it’s from a region where very few washing stations exist, making it somewhat unique. It also happens to be located in Nyabihu - one of the most stunning areas in Rwanda. A river runs through the base of the station for water provision. The combination of volcanic soils and unique climate bring depth, sweetness and balanced acidity, resulting in an elegant and juicy sensory experience.

All cherry is hand-sorted, and underripe or damaged cherry is removed along with any foreign objects. Next, cherry is floated in pre-pulping tanks - removing any floaters - and is then pulped. The pulped cherries are fermented in dedicated concrete tanks for an average of 8 hours. During this time the pulp is agitated several times throughout the day by way of ceremonial foot-stomping.

After fermentation, coffee is released into a large serpentine grading channel. This process also separates the “parchment” coffee into different density grades. During the washing process, parchment is continuously agitated to encourage lower density coffee to float and to clean off any residual mucilage. 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.