Kanzu Lot 714

About the Coffee

Kanzu washing station sits at 1,836 meters above sea level in the Nyamasheke district of South Central Rwanda, west of Lake Kivu and just below the Nyungwe National Forest. The station works with more than 535 farmers growing Red Bourbon on volcanic soils between 1,800 and 1,900 meters. Ethica has focused specifically on Nyamasheke over other Rwandan regions because of the consistency of quality coming out of this particular pocket of the country, where altitudes can reach 2,200 meters and rainfall runs between 1,300 and 1,400 millimeters per year.

The Nyungwe forest does a lot of the work here. It prevents deforestation, collects cloud cover, and creates a misty microclimate that slows down the ripening of coffee cherries. Because of that, Kanzu's harvest runs later than most of Rwanda, often finishing as one of the last of the season. The slower ripening gives the cherries more time to develop. The coffee is processed using the washed method, meaning the fruit is removed and the beans are fermented in water before drying, which tends to produce a cleaner, clearer cup. Kanzu produces between four and six shipping containers of coffee per year, and the farmers are Rainforest Alliance certified and trained in agricultural best practices.

This specific release is Lot 714, a single traceable lot from the Karambi community within the Kanzu station.

About Ethica Coffee Roasters

Ethica Coffee Roasters is based in Toronto and takes its name from the 17th-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza's work, Ethica Ordine Geometrico Demonstrata, a text about aligning actions with reason and virtue. That framing shapes how the company thinks about sourcing: they work to share the stories behind each coffee and treat relationships with producers as central to the work, not secondary to it.

Their sourcing focuses on specialty green beans selected for quality at origin, and they pay close attention to how that coffee is handled after it arrives, from roasting through to brewing. Ethica has built particular depth in Rwanda over the years, returning to producers like Kanzu season after season rather than rotating through origins. That kind of repeat sourcing builds relationships that show up in the coffee, since producers know the buyer is coming back and have reason to maintain quality.

"There is an Ethica coffee that stands out in my mind - a Washed Castillo from Wilton Benitez that had rosemary as a tasting note. Yes, rosemary. I remember looking at that tasting note in disbelief, and then experiencing about the same disbelief by how much I loved the rosemary flavour!"

- Dean, Director of Coffee