Known as the 'land of a thousand hills', Rwanda offers the perfect climatic conditions for bloody good coffee. Rwanda was also the only African country to have the honor of hosting the Cup of Excellence competition.
The first coffee was brought to Rwanda by German missionaries in 1904 and from then on, it was cultivated more and more. However, this was exported abroad only from the year 1917. Most of the coffee was not exported to Germany, but to Belgium, which took over the colonial rule after the First World War. In the 1930s, coffee cultivation was strictly controlled by the Belgians. They also demanded high taxes. Therefore, mainly mass production with little demand for quality was practiced in order to be able to sell the coffee at low prices.
The 1994 genocide, which killed one million people in Rwanda, had a serious impact on the coffee industry: coffee prices fell sharply. For the following years, coffee became the symbol of a positive way forward - reconstruction. With the help of foreign support, washing stations were built, quality improved and demand boosted.
Unfortunately, the 'potato defect', a disease that makes coffee taste like raw potatoes, is common on farms. Targeted selection of cherries right at the beginning is necessary to guarantee the good quality of the coffee.
Starting with a rich body, fruity and floral flavors and a creamy caramel aftertaste, Rwandan coffees have a very complex flavor profile.
