This coffee comes from Buf Cafe and is 100% Bourbon variety. The famed Buf Cafe washing station is in the mountains near the village of Karaba, in the Ginkongoro prefecture in south-central Rwanda. Buf Cafe started operation in 2000, after funding aid from the Rwandan Development Bank and USAID’s PEARL project.
Buf Cafe is a private washing station, owned wholly by the Muhirwa family, processing coffee cherry from two distinct cooperatives in the Ginkongoro prefecture: Cobabakagi (1300 members) and Terimbere Kawa Yacu (between 400-600 members). They also collect cherry from farmers in other regions, siphoning away outside cooperative output by placing collection sites within the operating zones of other established groups.
Buf Cafe operates two separate washing stations – Nyrusiza and Remera. This particular lot comes from cherry milled at the Nyarusiza station.The larger of the two stations, Remera sits at 1950 meters, and on the drive there we reached hilltop elevations nearing 2200 meters. Processing here follows the Rwandan standard, with a floating tank sort, 8-12 hour dry fermentation, second sort for weight using water shoots, then a 24 hour soak prior to hand washing and hand sorting, concluded by placement on raised drying beds on the mountain valley floor. Similar practices are followed at Nyarusiza. Buf Cafe’s dry mill facility is located in Karaba.
Tasting Notes
A very cool Rwanda coffee. Super clean and chocolaty, medium to full bodied with just a bit higher than average acidity; more buzzy than citric. A juicer body with hints of citric and peach like fruit balancing with a very clean chocolaty undertone with an accent of spice that lingers in the aftertaste that pulls it all together. A way cool cup.
Roasting Notes
Good at almost any roast but to see what separates this cup from average consider it a lighter roast coffee; will be a little higher acidity but more buzzy than citric. Darker roasts get a bit smoky with a little bakers chocolate kick. Smack dab in the middle was easily our favorite, smooth chocolate notes with just a little crispness and on the sweeter side. Yum! Will darken up quicker than most and start to develop a sheen at a city + roast, can be a little deceptive.
