Buna Mobile: Rwanda Bourbon Coffee

I'm always excited to sample a coffee that's new to me, this Rwanda Bourbon coffee is another sample provided by BunaMobile roasting company. BunaMobile is a small batch roaster that specializes in roasting for fund raisers. You can find more information about their charities and fundraising on their website.

Quick Details:

• Appearance: .2 d/300gr, 15 + Screen
• Grade: A1
• Processing: Wet Process (Washed)
• Region: Karenge, Eastern Rwanda
• Varietal(s): Bourbon
• Roast: City - full city
• Brewing method: Pour over

My coffee reviews are a bit like my cigar reviews. I check the appearance of the beans and smell the aromas at every point along the journey. Opening the bag and checking the aromas from the whole beans,  there was a complex mix of walnuts, cocoa, rich coffee and even a hint of caramel.  As you can see in the picture, the beans show some nice oily caramelization. Once the beans were ground the aroma nuances changed to a mix of caramel and toast. I love the aromas from fresh ground coffee as much as the aromas from a premium cigar!

On the pour over, once the hot water was introduced onto the ground coffee, a frothy bloom developed and the aroma that developed reminded me of snow peas and warm bread. I know that sounds like and odd combination and I thought perhaps it was me, but I brewed three separate cups for this review and found the same aromas each time.

The aroma from the cupped coffee were interesting as well. I could smell pleasant combination of flora, snow peas and fruit. The first sips of the Rwanda Bourbon coffee were juicy and bright with a bit of underlying tartness that left a clean finish on my palate. There were initial flavors of brown sugar, toast, smoky leather and bitter sweet chocolate. As the coffee cooled a bit, the flavors changed to a deeper, richer mix of cocoa and toast.

Overall I thought this roast produced a great cup of coffee. Nelden Myers, owner of Buna Mobile, told me this coffee was a sample from his supplier and he may not carry it. Well, perhaps he should, I thought this Rwanda Bourbon was great.

I give this Rwanda Bourbon coffee a 5 out of 5 star rating.