This special bean from Rwanda in Central Africa is a juicy bodied beauty we know Merlo drinkers will love. Flavours of pomegranate & milk chocolate with a hint of spice, ending with a smooth vanilla finish.
Please note: for this specialty coffee we roast to order, so the period from order receipt to dispatch is approx. 2 business days.
$55.00
$55.00
Unit price
/ per
Unsure? See our grind guide below.
Free shipping on 1kg coffee & 60pk capsules OR $9.95 flat rate Aus-wide.
This special bean from Rwanda in Central Africa is a juicy bodied beauty we know Merlo drinkers will love. Flavours of pomegranate and sweet milk chocolate with a hint of spice, a medium honeycomb body and cinnamon aromatics, ending with a smooth vanilla finish.
Rwanda Kanyege Isimbi is just as delicious first thing in the morning as it is after dinner at night.
The sweet dessert flavours are balanced by impeccable cleanliness from the perfect processing, so the individual flavours work harmoniously while each being able to shine in their own right.
Isimbi means the white cap on top of a volcano in Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda. This coffee is a combined effort from a group of small holder farmers working on plots of 250 to 350 trees each.
This kind of plot is a typical size for coffee producers in Rwanda, where small-scale producers make up the bulk of the nation's total harvest, which tallies at about 20,000 tonnes, and contributes over 1 million US dollars to the Rwandan economy.
Political stability has allowed the coffee industry to flourish, with farmers improving their processes and techniques and achieving higher prices year on year as a result.
Much of this progress is achieved by co-operative endeavour 'in this case the farmers banded together to create COCAKA (Co-operative of Coffee Growers in Kageyo) in 2018 and in the five years since have worked to improve as a group, sharing information, expertise and resources to lift the local coffee quality. In selecting the coffees for this lot, the farmers looked to 'Isimbi' which is used as a byword for purity and chosen coffees for their clean crisp flavours.
TASTING NOTES
Rwanda Kanyege Isimbi has flavours of pomegranate and sweet milk chocolate with a hint of spice. It's a medium honeycomb body and cinnamon aromatics, ending with a smooth vanilla finish.
The sweet dessert flavours are balanced by impeccable cleanliness from the perfect processing, so the individual flavours work harmoniously while each being able to shine in their own right.
The coffee's immaculate processing comes through in the juicy body and winey acidity, which balances the warmth of the flavour profile. Dessert sweet all the way from start to finish, the Kanyege Isimbi is a harmonious blend of elements, with the spice adding a little note of interest to the rich chocolate and vanilla.
This is a coffee that works just as well after dinner as first thing in the morning and tastes beautiful as a white coffee or taken black.
BREW RECOMMENDATIONS
High on sweetness and super clean, the Rwanda Kanyege Isimbi is perfect for espresso machines. As a short or long black the chocolate richness carries through and the vanilla finish adds a gentle note to the aftertaste.
Adding milk only amplifies the gorgeous dessert flavours 'nothing goes better with spiced chocolate than milk! Plant mylks are great too: coconut and almond add a new nutty flavour dimension that's very complementary.
For filter, Aeropress is a lovely choice. You'll get the chocolate brownie effect from full immersion brewing. Pourovers will sing with clarity, and the delicate cinnamon gets a chance to shine. Above all this is a very easy drinking coffee, and you might want to pull the bigger plunger from the back of the pantry, because everyone is going to want a cup.
PLUNGER (coarse grind: 6.2)
Plunger (or French Press) and other similar immersion brew devices, which involved the ground coffee having contact with the water for an extended time. A coarse grind is most effective.
AEROPRESS & FILTER (medium grind: 5.7)
This category includes a range of brew devices that use filters (paper or reusable). Devices include the AeroPress, & AeroPressGo, the Hario V60, Chemex & Fretta, the MoccaMaster and other cone-filtered methods where water is poured over ground coffee. A medium grind is recommended.
STOVETOP (medium/fine grind: 5.1)
Also known as Moka pot, a stovetop to produces a strong, concentrated coffee, and is best with medium/fine grind is best for this brew device.
HOME ESPRESSO MACHINE (fine grind: 4.7)
This category includes simple home espresso machines. For example:
Atomic Coffee Maker
Breville Bambino & Plus
Breville Compact Café & Infuser
Breville Duo Temp Pro
Delonghi Dedica Range
Krups Coffee Makers.
Solis Barista Perfetta Plus.
HOME ESPRESSO MACHINE (fine grind: 4.5)
This slightly finer grind of 4.5 is available to help you optimise performance of your home coffee machine. It allows for flexibility, ensuring you find the ideal grind setting. The one machine that perfectly suits this grind is listed below.
Baby Gaggia
SEMI-PRO ESPRESSO MACHINE (finer grind: 4.2)
Includes machines for home or workplaces with greater functionality, such as a double boiler that has one boiler for brewing coffee and another for steaming milk. Examples include:
Ascaso Baby & Barista T Machines
Boema
Faema Faemina
Gaggia Milano
Nuova Simonelli Musica & Oscar
Rancilio Silvia
Rocket Appartamento & Giotto
Wega W Mini.
SEMI-PRO ESPRESSO MACHINE (finer grind: 4.0)
Includes machines for home or workplaces with greater functionality, such as a double boiler that has one boiler for brewing coffee and another for steaming milk. Examples include:
Bellezza Espresso Machines
Breville Dual Boiler
ECM Giotto
Kitchen Aid Espresso Machine
La Pavoni Lever
Sunbeam Café Series
Vibiemme Domobar
In addition to the semi-pro machines listed above, there are other brewing devices where grind 4.0 works well:
Wacaco Nanopresso portable coffee maker
Handpresso portable coffee maker
Portaspresso portable coffee maker.
REFILLABLE PODS (fine grind: 3.5)
No matter the brand, or type of refillable capsules or pods you have, a fine grind works best.
TURKISH (very fine grind: 2.0)
Turkish coffee combines extra finely ground coffee with water, boiling it in a small pot. An extra-fine grind is essential because Turkish coffee is served unfiltered.
Please note: while we try and grind to your specific settings, we cannot guarantee the grind setting will be exact for your set up.
If you do require a more specific grind setting, it may be worth investing in a grinder, and you can view our range of preferred coffee grinders
HERE.