COLUMBUS, Ohio, USA — Columbus coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is proud to introduce Kinini AA craft coffee from Rwanda. Grown at 1,800 to 2,200 meters above sea level in the Rolando District of Rwanda, this fully washed Bourbon coffee has tasting notes of blackberry, dragon fruit and marshmallow.
“”Kinini” means, literally, ‘this big thing right here,'” said Crimson Cup Sustainability Director Brandon Bir. “It’s a collaboration of cooperatives that pools their efforts to improve their coffee lots. About 85 percent of the members are women.”
The roaster met the Kinini cooperatives through the International Women’s Coffee Alliance. The organization’s mission is to empower women in the international coffee community to achieve meaningful and sustainable lives, and to encourage and recognize the participation of women in all aspects of the coffee industry.
Headquartered in Kinini town, the cooperatives and their washing station collect from the neighboring villages of Tumba and Mageragere.
At the washing station, workers ferment the beans for 24 to 36 hours, then dry them on beds using shade nets and rain tarps.
“We found the lot from Tumba Village to be something worth sharing!” Bir said.
Crimson Cup recommends brewing light-roasted Kinini AA coffee with a Hario v60 brewer using 24 grams of finely ground coffee to 400 grams of water, including 50 grams of bloom water.
“To understand how a group can produce 87-point coffee in their first year of production, you must understand the people behind the coffee,” he added. “Dreamers. That’s what everyone called Jacquie Turner and Malcolm Clear when they wanted to start a school for children in Eastern Rwanda 10 years ago.”
Driven by the desire to help the children of the genocide, they made that dream a reality. As they got to know that community, they realized the children needed much more than just education. So, they lobbied the local government and international donors to support construction of a local pharmacy, micro-finance credit institution, and other services.
Later, they turned their hands to creating economic sustainability through coffee, which saw a meteoric rise after Paul Kagame became the sixth president of Rwanda in 2000. The first crop yield coffee scoring 87 points.
“I was fortunate enough to meet Jacquie Turner at the SCA Expo in Boston and sourced the coffee based on this new relationship,” Bir said. “With its flavor notes of Blackberry, Dragon-fruit, and Marshmallow, this coffee is super special. You will be pleasantly taken back by the depth and sweetness of the cup.”
Crimson Cup sourced this fantastic coffee as part of its Focus on Good.â„¢ The roaster creates positive change through its products and relationships around the world, inspiring coffee lovers to help make a meaningful impact with every cup.
Crimson Cup Kinini AA coffee is available for a limited time on the Crimson Cup website and at Crimson Cup Coffee Shops in Columbus, Tallmadge and West Chester, Ohio. Order for pickup through the Crimson Cup App.
