Coffee Story
In 2019, Emmanuel introduced several "grouped" coffee lots from smaller communities and microclimates near his washing stations, sparking interest in increased traceability, diverse coffee character, and growing benefits for Baho and its producer network by fostering collaboration and inspiring fair pay for smallholders. The Giko Hill Group was one of these lots, and this kind of traceability to these tiny garden plots is pretty remarkable. Now in its sixth harvest year, it features coffees from plots that average just 388 trees per farmer. In the words of Emmanuel, "By forming these groups around our washing stations, we aim to create mutual benefits. Farmers commit to our training and maintain a long-term relationship with Baho, which supports their development and markets their coffees."
The coffee from the Baho Coffee Network in Rwanda is a blend of Red Bourbon grown by only 15 producers living on Giko Hill who deliver cherries to the Muzo washing station. Their farms range from 1,550 to 1,900 MASL and average 0.3 hectares in size; they are among the smallest farms that Semilla works with in Rwanda but produce some of the most beautiful coffees, boasting intensely sweet, tropical-fruit-flavoured profiles.
Once at the Muzo Station, Emmanuel has developed a unique method for drying natural coffee that maintains a very slow drying rate while ensuring flavours remain clean and free of over-fermentation or mould defects. After sorting and floating, the coffee cherries are placed directly on raised beds to begin drying.
Quality control is performed upon delivery through hand sorting and floating. The selected cherries are stored in bags for 12 hours, during which the mucilage adheres to the beans. The following morning, the cherries are spread out on drying tables, with a maximum of 150 kg per table. The cherries are stacked to a thickness of 2-4 cm, depending on weather conditions.
Quality control is performed upon delivery through hand sorting and floating. The selected cherries are stored in bags for 12 hours, during which the mucilage adheres to the beans. The following morning, the cherries are spread out on drying tables, with a maximum of 150 kg per table. The cherries are stacked to a thickness of 2-4 cm, depending on weather conditions.
The coffee is spread thinly and turned frequently, every 2 to 3 hours throughout the entire drying process. When the coffee reaches a moisture content of 20%, it is wrapped and covered with mesh netting for 2 days. Once the moisture content drops to 17%, the cover is removed, and the coffee is moved to beds under a completely shaded shed for 5 days. After this, the coffee is returned to full sun until it reaches a moisture content of 14%. Finally, the coffee is moved under complete shade to slowly dry to a final moisture content of 12%. The total drying time for naturally processed coffees is 50-55 days.
