Kanzu Natural

High up in the mountains of Rwanda's Nyamasheke region, at around 1,800 masl, we find the Kanzu washing station where this community lot is collected and processed.

Kanzu is nestled against a huge national forest called Nyungwe, so it’s protected for biodiversity and from deforestation. The forest collects cloud cover, generating a special misty microclimate that slows cherry maturation and protects the coffee from climate extremes. It’s right above Lake Kivu and the view looks down on the watershed, all the way down to the lake itself. Kanzu is on the downslope right below this forest, at an extremely high elevation, and we’ve always seen how the climate plays a huge role in the flavor development of these coffees. The cherries here ripen a lot later than most of the country and are frequently one of the last harvests of the season.

To date, Kanzu is working with more than 535 farmers and those farmers are also registered under certification programs like Rainforest Alliance and trained in best practices to help them continue producing the best possible coffee.

At the washing station the cherries are sorted to make sure that anything that has been bitten by any insect is removed during flotation. When coffees are put into water, cherries that have been damaged by insects float and can be removed. Then, after coffee is pulped, selectively sorting by hand in the pre-drying area. This phase is called skin drying, where we pre-dry the skin of coffee so that when you put the coffee under natural sun it cannot be cracked by the sun, allowing other issues to arise. During skin drying you can also easily pick out any defective coffee beans.

Naturally processed coffees like this one always provide additional texture to the cup and often show elevated fruit qualities. Here we taste strawberry jam primarily which is supported by a dense structure of dark chocolate and brown sugar. Brew this light to lean on the fruit, brew it stronger to fill the palate with more caramelized sugars - either way you're in for a sweet treat.

Producer  → Local smallholder farmers
Washing Station  → Kanzu
Location  →  Nyamasheke, Western Province, Rwanda
Altitude  → 1,800-2,100 masl
Varieties  → Red Bourbon 
Process  → Natural