RWANDA ​GASHARU honey

General Information

Origin:   Rwanda
Region: Western Province
District: Nyamasheke
Washing Station: Gasharu Washing Station
Farmers: 1650 active members (660 female, 990 male)
Cultivar:  100% Red Bourbon
Altitude: 1600-2100 masl
Process:  Honey
Harvest:  June 2025
Cherry Price | FOB Price: 4.70 USD/kg | 9.6 USD/Kg
Screen | Moisture | Density: 15+ | 10.8% | 0.70 g/ml
Packaging: 30 Kg + GrainPro
Score: 88
Notes: Chocolate, red fruits, honey, citrus

TRACEABILITY


The coffee plantations surrounding Gasharu benefit from their proximity to Nyungwe National Park, a rich natural ecosystem that contributes to the region’s abundant rainfall and favourable growing conditions. Coffee is cultivated at high elevations, where the cool climate and altitude help develop dense cherries with vibrant acidity, sweetness and complex aromatics.

For this lot, carefully selected cherries are harvested from smallholder farms located at elevations of approximately 1,600 to 2,100 meters above sea level. Upon arrival at Gasharu Washing Station, the cherries are floated and sorted to remove underripe, damaged and lower-density fruit, ensuring that only the ripest and most consistent cherries continue through processing.

The selected cherries are then pulped to remove the skin and most of the fruit, while a layer of naturally sweet mucilage is intentionally left attached to the parchment. Unlike fully washed coffees, the parchment is not washed completely clean. This remaining mucilage is what defines the honey process, contributing additional sweetness, body and fruit character as the coffee dries.

The parchment is carefully spread in thin layers on raised African drying beds, allowing air to circulate evenly around the coffee. During the approximately 10 to 15-day drying period, the coffee is regularly turned and closely monitored to ensure uniform drying and to protect it from rain and excessive moisture. The gradual drying of the mucilage helps develop a sweet, balanced and expressive cup while preserving the coffee’s natural acidity.

Once the coffee reaches the desired moisture level, it is carefully stored before being hulled. The parchment is then removed and the green coffee undergoes further sorting and quality control, with trained workers selecting the best beans and removing defects. This meticulous attention throughout processing helps maintain the consistency and quality of the final export lot.
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The finished coffee is packed in protective GrainPro and jute bags to preserve its quality during storage and transportation. Through this carefully controlled honey process, Gasharu produces a coffee that brings together the clarity and acidity associated with washed coffees with the sweetness, fruit character and fuller mouthfeel often found in honey-processed coffees.

HISTORY

When we talk about Rwanda, it is impossible not to mention the horrible genocide that occurred in 1994, which left almost 1 million dead. Despite that sinister past, today it is admirable to see how this small nation has risen from the darkest depths, to become one of the most prosperous and secure countries in all of Africa.

Currently, the coffee industry in Rwanda is at its peak and producing exceptional coffees. The road has clearly not been easy, but through the leadership of a commited government, educational projects and strategic planning, they have laid the solid foundation for this success.

Coffee is one of the major export commodities for Rwanda, accounting for more than 40% of the total value of agricultural exports of the country, with approximately 420,000 people are directly or indirectly related to the coffee industry. Prices of quality coffee are more stable than the prices of commercial coffee, which has improved the quality of life of many coffee farmers and their families. In addition, coffee also contributes to the reconciliation of the main ethnic groups: Hutus and Tutsis; as we have seen them working together, shoulder to shoulder, to produce more and better coffee.​

VARIETY

Today in the world of specialty coffee, Bourbon and Typica are the most important Arabica coffee varieties. Recent genetic studies have confirmed that Bourbon and Typica were the seeds brought from Ethiopia to Yemen, and from the latter they spread throughout the world, forming the basis of modern Arabica coffee cultivation.
 
It was the French who attempted to introduce coffee three times from Yemen to Bourbon Island (now La Réunion), in 1708, 1715 and 1718. Genetic studies have confirmed that only a small number of plants from the second introduction and some from the third introduction they were successful. Until the middle of the 19th century, Bourbon coffee did not leave the island.
 
French missionaries played an important role in spreading the Bourbons in Africa. In 1841, the first mission was established in La Réunion. From there, a mission was established in Zanzibar in 1859. From Zanzibar, a mission was established in 1862 at Bagamoyo (coast of Tanzania, then called Tanganyika), another at St. Augustine (Kikuyu, Kenya), and another in 1893 at Bura (Taita Hills, Kenya). Coffee seeds brought from La Reunion were planted in each of the missions.
 
In 1904, German missionaries brought coffee to Rwanda. The first coffee trees were planted in Mibirizi mission, Cyangugu province. It is this mission that gives the name to the first variety of Rwandan coffee, a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety. Gradually, coffee cultivation spread to Lake Kivu and later to the rest of Rwanda. In 1930, growing coffee became compulsory for many farmers in the country, replicating the colonial model that the Belgians had imposed on Burundi.

HAND SORTING THE POTATO DEFECT

GASHARU cws LOCATION
CONTACT
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+34 675 608 692
WHERE WE ARE
Barcelona, Spain
Santiago, Chile
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