Kilimbi

Origin

Tasting notes

We’ve been buying this coffee for over six years now, and it has become an early-year treat for us. Kilimbi was one of the first washing stations in Rwanda to receive permission to produce honeyHoney processThe skin is removed but some sticky fruit mucilage is left on during drying. Lands between washed and natural: more sweetness and body than washed, cleaner than natural. and naturalNatural processThe whole cherry is dried with the fruit still on the seed. Gives heavier body and big fruit flavors — think berries and wine — sometimes with a fermenty edge. processed coffees. Previously, the Rwandan government only allowed fully washedWashed processThe fruit is removed from the seed before drying, usually with fermentation and a water rinse. Tends to give clean, transparent cups where origin character shows clearly. coffees as part of its commitment to maintaining consistent quality across the country. SmallholderSmallholderA farmer growing coffee on a small family plot — often under two hectares. Most of the world's coffee is grown this way, typically pooled at cooperatives or washing stations. farmers transport their harvested cherries across Lake Kivu by boat to sell to the Kilimbi washing stationWashing stationA central mill where many smallholder farmers deliver cherry for processing. In Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda the station name (e.g. Idido) often identifies the coffee.. Lake Kivu, located on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, is one of the largest lakes in Africa. This ancient bodyBodyThe weight and texture of coffee in the mouth, from tea-like and delicate to syrupy and heavy. Driven by process, roast, variety, and brew method. of water once drained into the White Nile, which now flows from Uganda to Sudan. Around 10,000 years ago, a volcanic eruption near Lake Kivu blocked its northern outlet, forming the Virunga Mountains and permanently altering the region’s geography. Lake Kivu is also one of only three lakes in the world known to experience limnic eruptions. This rare natural phenomenon occurs when dissolved carbon dioxide suddenly erupts from the lake’s depths.