Muraho Trading Co.
This is our fourth year working with renowned Rwandan producers Muraho Trading Co. The coffees that they produce are quite simply some of the best Rwandan lots we have tasted at La Cabra, and Gaudam and Carthick Anbalagan, the brothers that run the project, are among the most innovative producers in the country. Last summer, Carthick was able to visit us and cup together with the team in Copenhagen, sharing stories of the most recent harvest in Rwanda.
Gaudam and Carthick were brought up in Rwanda but moved to Wellington, New Zealand as teenagers. After the devastating effect that the 1994 Genocide had on the country, the brothers felt they had to return and be part of rebuilding and recovering the land they had always called home. So they left life in New Zealand behind, moved back to Rwanda, and started work on the project that became Muraho. Since then they have gone from strength to strength, and now own several stations throughout the coffee producing regions of Rwanda, exporting coffee to some of the world’s finest roasters. They have also innovated, having been the first to produce and export naturally processed coffees from Rwanda in 2016, after lobbying for government permission for several years. Last year, they were also the first to export varietals other than Bourbon from Rwanda, a project we’re excited to be a part of.
Bumbogo
The Bumbogo Coffee Washing Station is owned by Neza Trading Co, but run in conjunction with Muraho. It is located in the Gakenke district, famous for high quality coffees in Rwanda; many previous winners of the Cup of Excellence have come from Gakenke. Muraho’s investment and support has meant that Bumbogo have been able to almost double their production since their first harvest in 2018. Bumbogo farmers have also been provided with seedlings and agronomic education, leading to ever greater quality. This natural lot is first floated in order to remove low density or defective cherry, then dried on raised beds in the sun, normally taking around 30 days. Due to the powerful African sun, the coffee has to be turned almost constantly during the day, while it is covered at night to protect from condensation during the cool and humid evenings.
This leads to a heavier take on the Rwandan profile, with soft berry notes and a creamy body giving a strawberry yoghurt character.
More from Muraho
This year we bought a few different lots from Muraho Trading Co. The coffees that they produce at their stations, are quite simply some of the best Rwandan lots we have tasted at La Cabra. One coffee, Shyira, we look forward to welcoming back to our line-up every year. This washed lot has a clear citrus acidity, backed up by a deep white sugar sweetness and the typical heavily savoury, almost musk-like floral aromatics we often find in Rwandan lots.
