April 11, 2017 2 min read

Rwanda Dekundakawa Musasa

 

The Review:

April's coffee of the month is the Rwanda Fair Trade Dukundekawa Musasa. Rwandan coffee has been gaining popularity in the last few years and the Dukundekawa is one of the finest offerings available. 
 

Roasted Beans
Roasted Rwanda Beans
Choir Monk: The beans look good. I can see that they were roasted evenly. The aroma is fantastic! I can detect hints of amaretto cherry and flowers.

Lay Monk:These beans were roasted to around the 430 mark. This picture was taken just a few hours after the beans were roasted. I can smell lime stone fruit and jasmine blossom.


The Tasting:

Choir Monk: OK let's see how this coffee tastes! Our African offerings have been some of our best received coffees so I've got high hopes for the Rwanda . We'll evaluate it in the usual categories: Aroma Acidity Aftertaste Body/Mouthfeel Complexity and Darkness.

Choir Monk: Here's what I thought:

Aroma: Amazing! Like an almond liqueur with sweet citrus. This is one of the most unique aromas I've experienced.
Acidity: Nice and bright.
Aftertaste: Subtle sweet and aromatic.
Body/Mouthfeel: I thought that the body was nice and rounded. Very smooth.
Complexity: Fine African complexity - floral and fruit notes with a hint of almond.
Darkness: Medium.

Lay Monk: I thought this coffee was very fine! Here are the notes that I have:


Aroma: Orange zest jasmine flowers and cherries.Rwanda Dekundakawa Musasa Green Beans
Acidity: Pronounced and well-integrated - I thought the acidity was very good.
Aftertaste: Delicate sweet with a hint of malt.
Body/Mouthfeel: I found it full bodied too.
Complexity:Nicely complex! Hints of honey pineapple with the overarching citrus and floral elements.
Darkness: I'm calling it about a medium darkness.

Conclusion:

Choir Monk:I thoroughly enjoyed this coffee! The aroma was absolutely fantastic and I thought that the complexity and aftertaste were sublime. For me this is a great example of a classic African coffee.


Lay Monk: I agree! The aftertaste in particular was incredibly complex and delicate. I noticed that this coffee got much sweeter as it cooled a little so I would recommend savoring each cup rather than drinking it quickly.

Choir Monk: OK now for our final verdict:

Complex sweet and aromatic the Rwanda Dukundekawa Musasa is a multifaceted coffee that will have you noticing nuance with each cup. The bright acidity leads into a sweet and floral cup with orange zest and pineapple notes that persist all though the delicate aftertaste.