October Coffee of the Month - Rwanda Shangi 20

We're very excited to share October's Coffee of the Month: Rwanda Shangi 20! The Shangi Hills coffee washing station is located in Rwanda’s Western Province, in the Nyamasheke District, at the shores of Lake Kivu. The small washing station was established and built in 2016 but came under the ownership of the Rwanda Trading Company in 2022, when the owner of sister station, Horizon, purchased the station.

Fidel Ndagijima, the new owner, is among the youngest players in the coffee sector. He started as an ordinary trader but saw value in processing fully washed, at which time he embarked on a journey to find a washing station. He sold his first washing station before acquiring Horizon in 2019, and then Shangi Hills early in 2022.

This washed Red Bourbon from the Shangi Hills station offers a crispness to its taste reminiscent of a green apple or white wine, while offering notes of tangerine and grape.

Brew Guide:

1. Place filter paper into V6o and wet. Weigh out 16g coffee and grind to a setting on the coarser side of medium. Place coffee into filter paper and level. Tare scales and heat water to 97°C ideally.
2. Set a stopwatch and begin by pouring 50g of water onto the centre of the coffee, ensuring all grounds are saturated, stirring or swirling if required. 
3. Wait until the timer reaches 30 seconds, allowing for the coffee to bloom, releasing gases and oils from the coffee. Then, pour in concentric circles around half a centimetre away from the edge of the coffee until you reach 115g of water.
4. Allow for the coffee to steep and wait until the timer reaches 1.30. Once again, pouring in concentric circles, raise coffee to 175g. Slowly raise brewer, swirl coffee and tap it onto the top of the server to ensure grounds are flat, therefore ensuring an even extraction.
5. Wait until the timer reaches 2.15, pour up to 240g, swirling and tapping brewer. 
6. Allow for all the water to draw down through the coffee, aiming for an extraction time of around three minutes.
7. Remove brewer and enjoy your coffee.