Golden Hour

Tasting Notes: Honey, Apricot, Golden Apple

Ecuador

Rwanda

260 smallholder farmer-members of Vunga Cooperative | Region: Nyabihu, Rwanda (Vunga) | Varietal: Red Bourbon | Mill/Washing Station: Vunga Washing Station | Importer: Higa | Processing: Washed | Altitude: 1,650–2,000 MASL

Ecuador

Our average cupping score: 86.5

About the Producers

Sidra: Finca La Josefina sits on the edge of the Cayambe-Coca ecological reserve, where volcanic soils, cold mountain air, and dense biodiversity create an ideal environment for slow-maturing, high-quality coffee. Run by Leopoldo Andrade and his wife, Ligia Merizalde, the farm is planted with rare and heritage varieties — Typica, Sudan Rume, Pacas, Sidra, and and Typica Mejorado.

Rwanda: This coffee arrives from the Agaro dry mill, representing 498 smallholder farmers who handpick cherries at peak ripeness. After machine pulping and anaerobic fermentation, the coffee sun-dries on raised beds for seven to ten days, depending on conditions. 

It's uncommon in Rwanda for a woman to be a president and leader of a cooperative, but Daphrose Uwimana is an exceptional coffee farmer. Vunga is one of only a handful of cooperatives in Rwanda that are woman-owned and run, and that owns its own washing station. A coffee farmer since 1983, Daphrose is the driving force behind this exceptional coffee, and having founded the Vunga cooperative in 2009. This lot was collected from the 260 small holder farmer-members of the cooperative. 

Daphrose has created a close-knit community and mentors a group of women farmers that produces special women grown lots. She conducts seasonal training on best-in-class farming practices, such as applying fertilizers (90% of which are organic) and pruning older trees. She also trains farmers on financial literacy. 

When Daphrose realized that the youth of the community weren’t interested in becoming coffee farmers (which is very common in coffee growing regions around the world), she invested the money she made from coffee to purchase land with the plan to teach youth in her community about farming, in the hopes to inspire them to enter the coffee sector and continue growing world-class specialty coffee. 

Abel Salinas: Located in the highlands of Saraguro, Loja at 1,890 meters above sea level, Finca Arashi is the passion project of Abel Salinas, a first-generation coffee grower with deep roots in Ecuador’s fertile lands. Born into a family of twelve siblings, Abel inherited his parents’ resilience and unwavering work ethic—traits that shaped his journey from cattle and fruit farming to specialty coffee.

After years working as a miner on the coast, a surgical intervention brought him back home in the early 2000s. Inspired by a local producer’s success, he planted his first coffee trees in February 2016—marking the beginning of his specialty coffee quest. Today, his 7-hectare farm thrives with 22,000 trees, predominantly the rare Typica Mejorado, alongside Sidra and H1 Hybrid varieties.

What makes this coffee stand out

This blend unites three extraordinary coffees, each chosen for its unique story and excellence. First, the rare Sidra varietal, prized for its lively acidity and complex sweetness, seen many times in the finals at the World Barista Championships. Second, a women-grown lot from Rwanda’s Vunga cooperative, led by pioneering farmer Daphrose Uwimana, who mentors female producers and trains youth to secure coffee’s future. Third, Typica Mejorado, a rare varietal developed alongside Sidra, known for its expressive, Gesha-like flavor. Together, these components form a blend that celebrates competition-winning genetics, empowering leadership, and innovation in coffee.

Pour over recipe:

Ratio: 18g coffee, 274g water | Grind: Medium-coarse | Water: 200F

0:00 60 g bloom, gentle
0:45 200 g medium height, create agitation
(just before bed dries) 274 very gentle, very slow
Target brew time 3:15