Mahembe is a truly exceptional coffee and it is a unique cornerstone in our Rwandan collection. We visit the farm each summer, and after six years, we have forged a strong relationship with Justin Musabiyama who runs the washing station. Through our mutual commitment we are allowed to be the first to select his highest scoring lot each harvest. This year Mahembe has flavour notes of sweet morello cherries, black tea, cola with supplementing chocolate undertones. These flavours balance out in the cup with a clean, lasting finish.

Rwanda has a long history of coffee production but has only recently seen improvements in processing quality – with the Western Province producing some of the best. Justin returned home after the genocide in 1994 and set to work reviving his family’s coffee farm to help bring stability and economic opportunities to the region. Payment to his farmers includes health insurance, school fees and livestock. Thanks to his strong focus on quality and community building, 75% of what Justin produces is now A1 grade, and he takes a top five position every year during the Cup of Excellence (COE).

Mahembe tastes absolutely fantastic which is not only a result of the soil and terroir, but mostly of the hard work that Justin and his surrounding farmer community are putting into this coffee. Three years ago, we started a collaboration with Austrian Distillery, Josef Farthofer, and the Berlin based Freimeister Kollektive and together we created a coffee spirit („Geist“) and coffee liqueur, introducing Mahembe to the distilling process.