Guess where the Sudan Rume variety comes from? That's right - from Sudan! It is a rare variety of the Bourbon family that has a particularly complex flavor profile, mainly because of the low yield. Coffees of this variety taste flowery, like red fruits. You can expect notes of jasmine or roses, and berries or plums in the cup.
The variety is often called a "landrace". These are ancient varieties that originated in the Horn of Africa, where Arabica coffee was first grown. After centuries of crossbreeding between wild varieties, this region, which includes Ethiopia, Sudan and Kenya, has the greatest genetic diversity in the world. This diversity is far from fully explored, and many varieties may have only a few trees in a small region. Therefore, one often sees simply "heirloom varieties" as the classification for coffees from this region.
Sudan Rume was explored quite early in the 1940s, after it was grown in the rich, high-altitude forests in the Boma Conservation Area - in what is now southern Sudan (close to the border with Ethiopia).
For a heirloom variety, Sudan Rume has a few odd characteristics. The variety is very expensive to grow due to extremely low yields, but it is immune to coffee crush rust, which is very beneficial to it. This is rather unusual for "pure" heirloom varieties. Therefore, Sudan Rume is often used in crosses to combine its resistance with a higher yield. Examples are the Milenio or Centroamericano varieties.
So it is exciting to see a batch of pure Sudan Rume beans, and we are very happy to be able to roast this unique coffee for you!