Cyato coffee washing station
Bee-pollinated specialty coffee
Our Cyato coffee washing station (CWS) is located 1,930m above sea level in Nyamasheke district in western Rwanda. The farmers growing Cyato coffee are located even higher at 2,200m. This is where we produce our delicious bee-pollinated coffee.
Tropic Cyato specialty coffee is 100% Red Bourbon. It thrives here high in the mountains.
Our land borders the Nyungwe forest and is particularly rich and fertile. It has an abundance of bees, biodiversity, and rich, black humus and sandy soil. The vast inland Lake Kivu nearby provides a cool and wet climate at high elevation.
The importance of bees in coffee
Every day, we learn more about how bees and other pollinators are essential players in food production. They play an enormous role in the world’s food supply.
The impact of bees on coffee production had never been noticed or considered until recently. We now know that during pollination bees leave vital microorganisms on the coffee plants, giving them a more consistent size and better flavours. Bee pollination can also increase the yield between 36-50%.
Our bee-pollinated coffee from Cyato cups at 87.
Cyato farmers also enjoy the rich black humus and sandy soil, perfect for growing coffee. The region is also home to Lake Kivu, East Africa’s largest inland body of water, which provides a cool and humid climate.
We have organized farmers groups who cultivate the plantation around the forest, and we educate them on best agricultural practices to help preserve the pollinators and biodiversity. We also do not use any synthetic fertilizer or pesticides to support our unique environment.
All these factors combine to create a unique profile for Cyato specialty coffee.
Processing Cyato natural specialty coffee
Tropic Coffee’s Cyato washing station started operating in 2017 and has capacity to process more than 300MT of coffee cherries per season. Due to the cooler climate, we have a longer harvest season until July.
Our coffee cherries are hand-picked, wet processed, and dried outside at raised tables. A small amount of our Cyato coffee is processed using the natural method (natural coffee).
Drying coffee in the cool climate of Nyungwe forest is one of the crucial factors for high quality coffee production. It gives coffee beans a strong coffee flavour and pleasant aroma, and increases its longevity.
During the drying process, the layer of the mucilage dries inside the cherry and around the parchment bean, giving it an orange, honey and caramel taste with jackfruit, soft acidity, and creamy, complex fruits and flavours.
The beans are turned several times a day to get an even drying and prevent excessive fermentation or damage.
They are then transported to the mill for hulling, and securely packaged for export.