Description
Rwanda – Bwishaza Kungahara (Carbonic)
This is the “wild card” version of Kungahara in the best way. The carbonic process leans into bigger aromatics and a juicier, more candy-like fruit character than the washed lot, while still keeping enough structure to feel intentional (not chaotic). Expect apricot, tart rhubarb-like sparkle, melon sweetness, and a lemon-lime pop that lifts the finish and keeps it from going heavy. Last year this exceptional green scored 95 points from Coffee Review and was chosen. One of the 12 best coffee of 2025!
Selection Note: Selected through direct sourcing and rigorous cupping, then released as distinct process lots from the same foundation. If you try more than one version, you’ll taste how much the process alone can change the cup.
Origin: Rwanda
Process: Carbonic
Variety: Bourbon
Elevation: 1,650–1,800 m (5,413–5,906 ft)
Tasting notes: Apricot • Rhubarb • Melon • Lemon-lime
What we love about this lot is how high-impact it is without being a total science project. Carbonic coffees can go “funk-first” fast, but this one stays surprisingly polished—sweet, bright, and loud in the aromatics, without getting overly boozy or weird.
A true anchor coffee (just a different kind of anchor): This is an awesome “anchor” when you want a blend to feel more alive it can bring sweetness and explosive aromatics while still holding the cup together. And if you’re playing with funkier coffees, this one can be the fun part without taking over the whole show. It also pairs especially well with a clean, fully washed coffee as a way to keep the final cup pretty and structured.
This one tends to reward a careful, lighter roast. Keep it clean and you get that bright fruit + citrus lift; push it too far and you’ll start trading those high notes for heavier, muted flavors.
Bwishaza washing station + women-led impact: Kungahara is a women’s group within the Bwishaza cooperative, formed with outside support to help women producers strengthen quality, consistency, and market access. Their coffee is processed through Bwishaza’s quality infrastructure (including the washing station for washed lots), where careful sorting and controlled processing support the clean, consistent profiles Rwanda is known for. Just as important, premiums tied to women-grown lots are designed to flow back into the group and the community—supporting training, ongoing quality improvements, and shared projects like collectively managed coffee land, including paying down the loan on a shared plot the women planted and farm together.
