Gingerbread & Lemon
Harvest: June 2023

Country: Rwanda
Producer: Gitesi Washing Station
Region: Karongi, Western Province
Process: Washed
Variety: Bourbon
Altitude: 1,800 masl

Located in the Karongi region, Western Rwanda, Gitesi is the name of the washing station owned and run by Alexis Gahizi and his son Aime. This will be our sixth year purchasing coffee from Gitesi, and the arrival of this coffee at the roastery is always one of the highlights of our year! We love this coffee for its perfumed florals, zesty acidity and warming flavours of baking spices - a combination we think is unlike anything else.

The Rwanda harvesting season runs from March to August, and the best lots are usually selected from the May to July pickings. The farms are generally very small family-owned operations, and the family care for the plants and pick the cherries themselves. This coffee is a blend of cherries from multiple producers in the Karongi Region. Every year, hundreds of farmers from the local community deliver to Gitesi to process their crops, but competition can be pretty tough. Farmers can deliver to whichever washing station they choose, so it's important that the staff at Gitesi maintain good relationships with the producers and offer competitive prices for higher qualities.

We source all our Rwandan coffee through Nordic Approach who have a very close relationship with Aime and Alexis, and do an incredible job selecting lots with distinct fruit driven characteristics. This is no exception! Roasted for filter, expect a sugary cup with notes of lemon, florals and ground ginger.

Price we paid: €11.06/kg

FOB: €7.18/kg

Weight Purchased: 780 kgs

Relationship:6 years

Importer: Nordic Approach

Gitesi is a private washing station owned and run by a father and son team, Alexis and Aime Gahizi. They buy cherries from multiple producers in the Karongi Region and process it at their washing station. The processed coffee is then sold to the exporter, Rwanda Trading Company (RTC), who mills the coffee, prepares the export documentation and transports the coffee to port. RTC sells the coffee to our importer, Nordic Approach, who ships the coffee to their warehouse and arranges the onward transport to our roastery.