Juru Coffee specializes in Arabica Red Bourbon coffee varieties (e.g., BM-139, Jackson, RAB C-15, Mibilizi and other sub varieties). Our coffee is grown on medium altitude hills of Kayonza District ranging between 1400-1900m above the sea level. In Rulindo District, coffee is grown on high mountains with altitude ranging between 1700-2300m above the sea level. In Kayonza District the soil is fertile sandy and stony with tropical climate. While in Rulindo District the coffee is grown in a fertile sandy loam soil. The regions boast fertile soils and favorable climates, with two harvest seasons: March–July as the main harvest season for the whole country and October–November for Northern province including Rulindo. Farmers primarily use organic manure and minimal industrial fertilizers, yielding coffee with unique flavors like strawberry, red apple, kiwi, and milk chocolate.
Juru aims to help farmers, cooperative of farmers and aims to bring communities together, shifting them from subsistence farming to the production of premium coffee. We want to develop the farmers’ skills and expertise and build hope for the next generation of farmers while delivering exquisite coffee to our customers
Processing Methods:
1. Fully Washed Coffee
- Process: Hand-picked ripe cherries are sorted, floated, pulped, fermented for 12 hours, washed, graded, and dried over 15–21 days to achieve 9.5–11% moisture.
- Flavor: Clean, bright acidity, often with floral or fruity notes.
- Key Characteristics: Clear cup, high clarity, and defined acidity, focusing on the bean’s inherent flavors. Less body and sweetness compared to other methods.
2. Honey Coffee
- Process: Cherries are pulped, but mucilage is left on the beans during drying. After pulping, the coffee is normally fermented for 12 hours, put on pre-drying tables under shade for 24-48 hours and then slowly dried on tables for 15-21 days.
- Flavor: Sweet, fruity, and balanced, with flavors ranging from citrusy to syrupy or candy-like, depending on the level of mucilage.
- Key Characteristics: Balanced between sweetness, body, and acidity. Less fruity than natural coffee but sweeter and fuller than washed coffee.
3. Natural Coffee:
- Process: In this process, coffee cherries are floated but not pulped, as in washed and honey processing. They are sun-dried on tables for up to 30 days, with intense sun exposure for the first two days, during which cherries are sorted and mixed. On the third day, the cherries are placed in plastic bags to ferment for two days, turning from red to brown and developing a distinct aroma. After fermentation, the cherries are returned to drying tables for slow drying, completing the process.
- Flavor:
- Fruity and sweet notes due to prolonged contact with the fruit.
- Often exhibits a heavier body and lower acidity.
- Tends to have complex and wild flavor profiles, sometimes including fermented notes.
- Key Characteristics: Intense and bold flavors.
4. Anaerobic Coffee:
- Method: Anaerobic coffee is processed using oxygen-free fermentation, where coffee cherries or beans are sealed in tanks without air. This unique method creates intense, exotic flavors with fruity, wine-like, or spiced notes. It’s an experimental approach often used in specialty coffee to deliver complex and innovative taste profiles.
- Flavor:
- Unique, intense, and often exotic flavors.
- Can have fruity, winey, or spiced notes with unusual complexities.
- Key Characteristics:
- Experimental and bold, pushing flavor boundaries.
- Popular in specialty coffee for its innovative approach.
Current Production and Vision:
- Capacity: Produces 120 tons of green coffee annually (6 containers).
- Goals: Expand farm areas, improve tree productivity, and adopt best farming practices to produce 180 tons (9 containers) by 2027 and 15 containers by 2030.
- Planned Investments: Establish a dry mill, initiate roasted coffee exports, and develop agro-tourism for additional income, traceability, and fostering consumer-farmer relationships.
Summary Table:
| Method | Key Process | Flavor Profile | Characteristics |
| Natural | Dried with fruit intact | Fruity, sweet, heavy body | Complex, wild, bold |
| Fully Washed | Fermented, mucilage removed | Clean, bright, high acidity | Consistent, uniform |
| Honey | Partial mucilage retention | Sweet, balanced, rich | Versatile, nuanced |
| Anaerobic | Oxygen-free fermentation | Exotic, intense, complex | Experimental, innovative |
Each method highlights different aspects of the coffee’s potential, making the choice of process crucial for shaping the final cup’s flavor.
