Rwanda
Kilimbi CWS Honey
Juicy, honey-sweet Rwanda bursting with grape, citrus, and soft apple brightness.
Juicy and clean with notes of black grape, pomelo, and white grape, balanced by gentle green apple acidity. A rich honeyed mouthfeel carries flavours of dried cranberry and date, finishing with a smooth, cane sugar sweetness as it cools.
Varietal: Red Bourbon
Information on the coffee
About Kilimbi & Muraho Trading Co:
This coffee comes from small-holder farmers partnering with Kilimbi washing station in the Nyamasheke district, near Lake Kivu. Kilimbi is owned and managed by Muraho Trading Company, run by two brothers deeply rooted in their community. Muraho is an innovative coffee company dedicated to showcasing Rwanda's exceptional specialty coffees while making a genuine difference for their farming partners. Established in 2016, Kilimbi was Muraho's first washing station and remains the heart of the company. Managed by Radjab Mvuyekure, it produces approximately 300-350 MT annually across honey, washed, and natural process lots. Uniquely, Kilimbi and Gisheke are among the few stations receiving coffee cherries delivered by boat across Lake Kivu from local farmers. Since its launch, Kilimbi has become a cornerstone of Rwanda's specialty coffee scene, pioneering some of the country's first legally produced and exported natural and honey processed coffees. Every cherry is hand-sorted and floated to remove underripe or damaged fruit. After pulping, coffee ferments in concrete tanks for around 12 hours, with the parchment traditionally agitated by foot-stomping. The coffee then moves through a serpentine grading channel for density separation and thorough washing. Finally, it's hand-sorted again to remove any imperfections before drying for 30 days with regular turning. We're thrilled to partner with Muraho and Kilimbi this year through our importing partner Raw Material, bringing this exceptional coffee to our lineup for the first time.Maximum Impact Coffee
There are multiple aspects of impact to consider. At Raw Material, they are concerned about the impact across three main dimensions, weighted in this order:
1. Economic impact
Enabling economic freedom for people working in coffee. In particular, those for whom coffee is a large proportion of their household income. They focus where improvement in income levels, volatility, or payment timing will most likely have a significant influence on wellbeing. Enabling this economic impact through an improved system is the core focus of our work, measured at both the household and community level.
2. Social impact
Contributing to the development of and sharing of knowledge across all participants in the coffee sector, to enable improved inclusive income opportunities and community wellbeing. For example, working with producers to improve production practices; training cuppers and graders in remote regions to recognise quality early and empower marginalised groups; working with roasters to adopt buying practices that include stable prices and long-term planning.
3. Environmental impact
The long-term sustainability of the coffee sector, both economically and environmentally. Through their work, Raw Material can help develop and share environmentally sustainable practices. These are designed in the context of local constraints, including transition, hidden, and ongoing costs, in order to improve viability and the likelihood of long-term adoption.