About this coffee

An agaseke is the pointed top basket Rwandan women weave by hand and give to mark trust and celebration, a fitting name for a coffee grown entirely by women. On the hills above Lake Kivu, in Rubengera in Karongi District, the women of the Agaseke group bring cherry to the Kopakaki Cooperative, where only Group A quality earns a place in the lot. Humid lake air and soils rebuilt through mulching and cover crops shape a fully washed Bourbon, dried slowly on raised beds.

Why this coffee works

The lake does a lot of the work. Humid air off Kivu slows the drying and keeps the cup round rather than sharp. Soils rebuilt through mulching and cover crops feed a healthy Bourbon crop, which is where the brown sugar sweetness and body come from. Fully washing it keeps everything clean and defined, and holding the lot to Group A cherry only is what gives it that bright, lingering finish.

Best for

Pour over and drip
Anyone who takes their coffee black
Drinkers who want sweetness and body with a bright finish

Brew instructions

We drink this one as pour over.

Heat water to 195 to 200°F (90 to 93°C)

Grind medium for drip, a little coarser for pour over

Use a 1:15 ratio, 1g coffee to 15g water

Pour slowly to keep the cup clean

Brew for 2.5 to 3 minutes

Drink it fresh

Want more acidity? Drop the water temperature slightly.
After more sweetness? Let it brew a touch longer.
Drink it black to get the full range.