About This Coffee

The more you learn about the Nova Coffee company and their work for the community in northern Rwanda, the less you are able to stop reading. Nova Coffee was founded in 2015 by the wife and husband power duo, Agnes Mukamushinja and Felix Hitayezu. They have been producing coffee as farmers for over 25 years, and now, they support 2880 small holder coffee farmers in their community including 382 female farmers, producing 153 tonnes of specialty grade red bourbon coffee, with plans in place to increase that production to 230 tonnes by 2025.

Nova Coffee pride themselves on their ethically and socially responsible practices and have a strong commitment towards gender equality, education and health for the farmers, their families and the communities. They supply coffee trees and shade cover trees to encourage more people to grow coffee, they provide vegetables to grow for eating and selling, and the native bees are well cared for to promote healthy biodiversity as well as provide honey, a staple for Rwandan foods. The company finances houses for the poorer families in the community and constructs infrastructure necessary for progression. Many farmers in the region are women and youth, and Nova aims to empower them to thrive in a fair and sustainable coffee growing industry through the project IKAWA SAWA (Sustainable Arabica and Women in Agriculture).

Farm Information

• Origin: Rwanda
• Region: Gicumbi District
• Farm/Coop/Mill: Gicumbi
• Producer: Nova Coffee Company
• Variety: Bourbon
• Process: Washed
• Altitude: 1800 - 2000masl
• Harvest: March - June
• Sourcing Partner: Project Origin
• Quality Score: 86

Roast Level: 

Flavour Profile

• Aroma: Caramel and Tea-like
• Flavour: Mandarin, Pear, Caramel, Chamomile
• Aftertaste: Clean Chamomile and Caramel
• Acidity: Mandarin-like acidity
• Body: Sweetness of Pears and Caramel
• Balance & Overall: Overall a simple and balanced coffee, Tea-like and quite floral

Recommended Brewing Parameters

• Espresso: 20g In, 40g Out, 27 Seconds
• Milk-based (150ml): 23g In, 44g Out, 30 Seconds, 150g Milk
• Pourover Filter (Chanho-Tornado): 15g In, 225g Out, 2 Minute 00 Seconds (45G Bloom, 30 Seconds)