PHILOCOFFEA - 282 Rwanda Kabuye Natural | Rwanda - Natural - Bourbon

Philocoffea Roastery and Laboratory is located in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan

From PHILOCOFFEA

Roast Level

Medium roast

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＜ Rwanda Kabuye ＞

Kabuye is a coffee-growing area located in the Maraba sector of Huye District in southern Rwanda. Maraba is widely recognized as one of the country’s finest coffee regions and was selected as a pilot area for the specialty coffee introduction project that began around the year 2000. At the time, David—who served as an agricultural technician for the project and now runs the brand Huye Mountain Coffee—highly valued the potential of the Kabuye area. After becoming independent, he chose Kabuye as one of the micro-lot production zones for David and Family, and for over a decade has been purchasing coffee cherries from local farmers.

Kabuye sits at particularly high elevations within Huye District, nestled in the mountain range known as “Ibisi bya Huye.” This range stretches from Mount Huye, the district’s highest peak, all the way to the Nyungwe National Park forest. Notably, at Rwanda’s very first Cup of Excellence competition, coffee produced in the areas surrounding Kabuye took first place—clear recognition of the region’s outstanding quality.

The green beans had relatively high moisture content and solid density. Our initial approach—a slightly shorter roast to a medium-dark level—resulted in bitterness and umami becoming a bit too prominent. By extending the roast time just slightly and fine-tuning the profile, we achieved a more harmonious balance of sweetness, acidity, and savory depth.

The cup offers flavors reminiscent of dried oranges and cranberries, where acidity is layered with sweetness and umami. The profile evokes deep hues of orange and burgundy, with a caramel-like sweetness accompanied by gentle bitterness, and a softly lingering herbal note in the finish.

This medium roast beautifully showcases both roast-derived sweetness and bitterness alongside the distinctive character of the origin. One of its charms is how its expression changes depending on the brewing method. Enjoy a cleaner, lighter cup in the morning with a slightly coarser grind, or a fuller-bodied, more indulgent cup in the afternoon. We encourage you to explore and enjoy its versatility in different moments of your day.