Rwanda Rutsiro Nkora

Rwandan coffees can be the perfect alternative for high grown coffees from Guatemala. These all Bourbon variety lots tend to have the syrupy sweetness, and moderate acidity you find in Huehuetenango coffees, for example, and Nkora is a good example of this. The fragrance off the grinds is sweet-toned, brown sugar, raw honey, and spice. Hot water brings out a scent of fresh baked goods, like warm oatmeal cookies with raisin and cinnamon. I picked up on a hint of rustic dried prune when running my spoon through the wet crust that formed at the top of my cupping glass. The brew has nicely balanced sweetness at a wide range of roasts, with City/City+ offering a moderate level of acidity that has an appealing citric note, and a little brisk in the aftertaste. There's a sticky-sweet hint of dark fruit that brought to mind dried Mission Fig, and a spice/dry note in the finish like ceylon cinnamon bark. Full City roasts have surprisingly juicy texture, syrupy dark chocolate, and a hint of dark berry.