Rwanda - Dukorere Kawa Bukure Lot 5 | Washed

About the Coffee

Nova Coffee was founded by Agnes Mukamushinja and Felix Hitayezu, a nurse and pharmacist who had been running Pharmacie Nova in Kigali before entering the coffee sector in 2015. They purchased a run-down washing station in Bukure, in Rwanda's Northern Province, and rebuilt it into a functioning hub for smallholder farmers in the area. Today, Nova Coffee works with 80 members of the Nova Cooperative, sourcing cherry from farmers growing at 1,800 to 2,000 meters above sea level.

Agnes's connection to coffee goes back to her home village and her father, who spent decades working as an agronomist. After establishing the station in Bukure, she pursued government training programs, NAEB support, and membership in Rwanda's IWCA chapter to build out the business and support the surrounding community. One result of that work is Le Café de Mamans, a coffee produced in partnership with 263 women farmers from the Berwa Cooperative, sold domestically in Rwanda. Nova Coffee also receives cherry from two other cooperatives: Jyambere Muhinzi Wakawa and Dukorere Kawa.

The station runs with a full-time agronomist, experienced operations staff, and a dedicated QC manager named Celeste, who oversees processing and drying. This lot uses a washed process, where the coffee cherry is pulped and the beans are fermented and washed with water before drying, which produces a clean and clearly defined cup. Rogue Wave recommends resting the coffee at least three weeks before brewing.