Shyira Typica

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. 

Typica

These conditions gave rise to the idea of testing different varietals here, a study in the effect of Rwandan terroir on well-known and characterful varietals from elsewhere in the coffee belt. These rare varietals were introduced to the Shyira nursery in 2018, and seedlings were taken to a small model plot nearby shortly afterward. This means the team at Shyira have full control over the fertilisation, pruning, harvest and processing of the cherished fruit. 

This is only the third exportable harvest from this plot, and volumes are incredibly limited. We have just 60 kg of this lot to share. This washed lot reflects the sweet and aromatic character of the Typica varietal, with a deep caramel sweetness lifted by fresh and ripe red apple, and soft white tea florals.