As you know I’ve been working through an arbitrary project I made for myself (because I love inventing arbitrary projects and lists) in which I buy coffee from at least one roaster in every state. It’s been an embarrassingly long time to purchase coffee from Louisiana, especially since today’s coffee comes from a roaster that has been on my radar for a couple years!
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re cupping the Rwanda Misozi-Kopakaki, from Rêve Coffee Roasters in Lafayette, Louisiana. Feel free to pull up a chair.
Produced in the Karongi District in the western province of Rwanda, the Rwanda Misozi Kopakaki is a Bourbon varietal. Planted around Lake Kivu, one of the African great lakes, the Kopakaki cherries are grown on nutrient-rich volcanic soil which perfect for the cultivation of coffee. Moreover, pure spring water that runs down from the surrounding mountains is used in its processing at the coffee washing station at the area. The Kopakaki is fermented through wet processing, and then are sun-dried on raised beds.
This Kopakaki plantation is run by the Kopakaki Dutegure, a fair trade certified cooperative that is central to the development of their small but thriving community of farmers.The Kopakaki Dutergure ranked 18th out of 85 in the Cup of Excellence competition in 2010.*
THEDETAILS
region: Lake Kivu, Rwanda
farm: NA
producer: smallholder farmers
association: Kopakaki Dutegure
elevation: 1700 meters above sea level
cultivars: Bourbon
process: fully washed, raised bed dried
CUPPINGNOTES
The aroma of the Rwanda Misozi-Kopakaki is sweet and fragrant. Scents of apple and tangerine are the most prominent, with florals, Darjeeling tea leaves, and clove mingled in.
The flavor is much more fruit-forward than its aroma suggested it would be, but it does follow the nose. It’s a medium-bodied coffee with a soft, silky mouhfeel. A melange of Bosc pear, Fuji apple, and a tangy tangerine acidity envelop the tongue. Again, just like its aroma, there is a black tea dryness playing through the finish with herbaceous rhubarb and clove mingled in.
*content courtesy of Christopher Bean Coffee
What were your thoughts of this one? Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome! Feel free to enter a comment below.
UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL PRODUCTS REVIEWED ARE UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONS FROM THE PRODUCT MANUFACTURER.
Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.