CIH? It might sound like a code name from a space mission, but it’s actually the name of a star—and this lot from the Muganza station in Rwanda bears that name, and believe me, it’s well deserved. In the cup, you’ll find notes of violet blossoms, tropical fruit, and orange wine, underpinned by a honeyed sweetness with a hint of malt and a smooth cocoa finish. Behind this coffee is Emmanuel Rusatira, who clearly has a knack not only for choosing names but, above all, for coffee itself.
Emmanuel Rusatira, the founder of the family-owned company Baho Coffee, started out as a regular worker at a coffee washing station and gradually built a network of 11 washing stations throughout Rwanda, where he now works with more than 16,000 farmers. The Muganza washing station, where this lot originates, is located in the Kizi Rift area of the Nyamagabe district and processes cherries from 250 smallholder farmers in the surrounding hills. Coffee trees here grow at an elevation of 1,700–2,026 meters above sea level, which gives the cherries plenty of time to ripen slowly and develop maximum sugar concentration. By purchasing this coffee, you’re also supporting a breast cancer prevention project that our partner importer , Mare Terra, has been implementing in Rwanda for many years.
This coffee’s exceptional profile is the result of an advanced processing method for the Red Bourbon variety known as Anaerobic Mountain Dry. Perfectly ripe cherries first undergo anaerobic fermentation in sealed tanks without air exposure, which imparts complexity, a slight alcoholic note, and hints of ripe tropical fruit to the coffee. The cherries are then dried using the unique “Mountain Dry” technique on elevated African drying beds, where the specific mountain microclimate ensures slow and even drying, resulting in purity and stability of flavor. When brewed as a filter coffee, the floral and tropical aromas fully unfold, with notes of melon, mulberry, and orange wine, while as an espresso, the lively acidity of tropical fruit and a long finish of high-percentage dark chocolate stand out.