7.0/ 10
Acidity
LiftRwanda / Single origin
Velvet Isle
Bikunda Island, Nyamsheke District
Plans fromCA$21.15200g / delivery
Next roastSaturdayMade to order
86SCA / 100
Roasted inAjax, Ontario
01 / What it tastes likeA simple 1–10 scale
In the cup
Almond butter /Maple syrup /Orange candy
How it drinks
Full-bodied & sweet
A quick read on how bright, sweet, bold and full this coffee tastes.
9.0/ 10
Body
Weight8.0/ 10
Sweetness
Sweetness2.0/ 10
Boldness
Intensity02 / From the farm
Bikunda Island, Nyamsheke District
Grown with care.
Roasted for you.
The Bikunda Island offering is a singular expression of Red Bourbon cultivated by seven farmers whose families have tended Lake Kivu's volcanic slopes for generations. Bikunda Hill rises from the legendary waters of Lake Kivu in Nyamasheke District, where altitudes between 1,500 and 1,859 meters create an isolated microclimate of remarkable distinction. The seven contributing farmers—Viateur Basabose, Valerie Nyiranzeyimana, Jmv Usekanabagoyi, Innocent Uwihoreye, Celestin Manirarora, Sylveran Ugirabantu, and Emmanuel Cyiza—traverse the lake by boat to deliver their harvest to Ngoma washing station, a ritual that has become central to their collective identity.
Ngoma represents Emmanuel's most ambitious acquisition: a meticulously positioned station directly on Lake Kivu's shores, rescued in 2019 from commodity buyers notorious for suppressing farmgate prices. With only 780 contributing farmers producing approximately 575 exportable bags annually, Ngoma operates at an intimately small scale that allows for unprecedented quality control. The station serves as the cornerstone of Rwanda's emerging Lake Kivu appellation project, positioning these coffees alongside Colombia's most celebrated regional designations.
The natural processing at Ngoma follows a deliberate 35-to-40-day protocol. Hand-selected red cherries undergo multiple sorting stages before placement on raised beds, where continuous hand-picking removes any imperfections. The extended drying period, monitored to achieve precise 12-12.
Read more about this coffee
5% moisture content, develops the complex fruit characteristics that define this terroir. Following a mandatory 30-day rest period, the coffee undergoes final milling and color sorting before export certification. This harvest, scored at 86. 25 points, reveals the sophisticated interplay between variety, altitude, and processing method. The cup presents layers of hazelnut and almond butter, elevated by maple syrup sweetness and bright orange candy notes. Melon and dried fruit complexities emerge as the coffee cools, accompanied by delicate potpourri florals and concentrated apple chips. The finish carries blueberry and blackberry depth, testament to the natural process and the volcanic soils of Lake Kivu. Bikunda Island represents more than exceptional coffee- each bag connects you directly to these seven farmers, their island community, and a terroir that exists nowhere else on earth. Available while quantities last.
03 / Make it yours
Build it around how you drink it.
Choose this coffee's roast, grind, amount and delivery rhythm. We roast that exact setup—not a pre-packed version of it.
- 01Choose your coffeeBefore Saturday · 10 AM
- 02Roasted to your settingsSaturday morning
- 03Fresh and on its waySunday local · Monday shipped
Nothing pre-roasted. Nothing warehoused.
This setup becomes your first RoastPlan delivery. Keep it, or change the coffee, roast, grind, amount or rhythm before any Saturday cutoff.
