Received 2/28/2017
The aroma is mild and inviting, with cedar bark fragrance.
My first sip is vivid, with clean black tea and lemon brightness. The mouthfeel is slightly astringent, reminiscent of black walnuts with a pepper spiciness and warm cinnamon toast crust flavors. As the cup mellows, the light classic African nature of this coffee is apparent. Powerful flavors of toasted brown sugar linger in my mouth long after swallowing, proving the finish thick and pervasive. This coffee has legs! CONGO!
Aroma: Cedar, cola & black tea
Body: Light bright mouthfeel
Cup: Sweet lemon, tangy toasted brown sugar
Finish: Peppery black walnut, cinnamon toast
About this Coffee
GROWER: Coffee Producers organized around Virunga Coffee
REGION: North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
ALTITUDE: 1,632 meters
PROCESS: Eco-pulped and dried in the sun
VARIETY: Bourbon
HARVEST: September - November
SOIL: Clay minerals
This coffee is sourced from family-owned farms organized around Virunga Coffee, which began collaborating with cooperatives in 2011 to improve coffee production along the western edge of Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Virunga Coffee provides training on best agricultural practices to assist small producers with organic certification and improve quality. Virunga Coffee also provides critical infrastructure support including washing stations and logistics to transport and export coffee. The smallest producers, usually with less than an acre of land, bring their harvested cherry to the Hutwe washing station where state-of-the-art processing equipment is utilized to depulp, wash and dry the coffee before export. Virunga operates five washing stations in the region, and provides free training, quality management, and organic certification support to approximately 2,000 local farmers.