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JMV's coffee has been one of our preferred offerings since Evan first got his hands on it. Each cupping of this harvest displayed consistent and distinct dried fig, plum, and rooibos tea flavors. The complex and multi-layered character of this coffee is notable, with a cooler cup bringing hints of root beer and tamarind.
Jean Marie Vianney (JMV) Usekanabagoyi farms roughly 2 hectares in the Bushekeri Sector of Nyamasheke District in Rwanda's Western Province, at 1750 meters above Lake Kivu. His lot is processed at the Ngoma washing station (part of the Baho Coffee family since 2019, operated by Emmanuel Rusatira). JMV has been delivering to Ngoma since their very first harvest and has become one of their model farmers – by selecting only the ripest cherries and floating and sorting defects at the farm before coffee ever reaches the washing station. Shade trees are interspersed throughout his farms, and companion crops are mixed in where they won't compete with coffee trees. For his extra effort, JMV receives a bonus on top of Baho's already above-market cherry price.
Processing at Ngoma begins with an 8-hour in-cherry fermentation before depulping, followed by 12 hours of wet fermentation and rigorous washing through grading channels. Drying starts on shaded raised beds for 12-72 hours, a step unique to Rwanda. This gently opens the drying phase and gives sorters time to catch defects only visible in wet parchment, including seeds affected by Antestia (the bug associated with Rwanda's potato defect). Then coffee beans are moved to raised beds in full sun with careful weather monitoring and frequent turning – this ensures even temperature exposure until their moisture level hits an optimal 10.5-11%, taking a total of 26 days for this lot. Thanks to Sundog Trading for their continued partnership with Baho and for bringing JMV's coffee to us stateside.