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New Single Origin Coffee: Let Your Palate Travel to Rwanda, Mexico and Brazil During This Pandemic.

Written By Suhaimie Sukiman 13 Oct 2020

No travel holidays during this pandemic, not a problem. Allow your palate to travel to exotic places that you can only dream off in this new normal as Dutch Colony brings you to Musasa Dukunde Kawa Nkara in Rwanda, San Antonio Chicarras in Mexico and Rio Claro in Brazil!

New Single Origin Coffee: Let Your Palate Travel to Rwanda, Mexico and Brazil During This Pandemic.

No holiday travel during this pandemic? No problem. Allow your palate to travel to exotic places that you can only dream off in this new normal as Dutch Colony brings you to Musasa Dukunde Kawa Nkara in Rwanda, San Antonio Chicarras in Mexico and Rio Claro in Brazil.

Chuck your passport as we will only be needing a hand grinder, a pouring kettle and your favourite brewing device! Fasten your seat belt and let the travel begin!

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The Musasa Dukunde Kawa cooperative has three washing stations lying high in Rwanda’s rugged northwest. Nkara – the cooperative’s third washing station - was built by the co-op in 2007 with profits earned from their first two washing stations, Ruli & Mblima and a bank loan. The washing station lies at 1,800 metres above sea level and serves farmers within the Ruli Sector of Rwanda’s Northern Province. 

The level of care that Musasa Dukunde Kawa Nkara takes over the processing is impressive. Cherries are hand-picked only when fully ripe and then pulped that same evening using a mechanical pulper that divides the beans into three grades by weight.

After pulping, the coffee is fermented overnight (for around 12 hours) and then graded again using flotation channels that sort the coffee by weight (the heaviest or A1 usually being the best). The wet parchment is then soaked in water for between 18 and 24 hours to stabilise moisture content.

This is Dutch Colony first purchase of Musasa Dukunde of Rwanda and with such a crystal clear flavours that have both clarity and sweetness, it will definitely not be the last you see us having this available again in our roastery.

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On the most Southern tip of Mexico in the remote region of Soconusco, sits Teddy’s mighty 400-hectare estate. Purchased in 2009, today the San Antonio estate is characterised by its sustainable focus and trend-setting standards for Mexican specialty coffee.Bordering Guatemala, Soconusco is wedged between the Sierra Madre de Chiapas Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

This unique location provides a great challenge for coffee farming at San Antonio. With annual rain full averaging 4300mm and humidity typically range between 85% and 99%, fermenting and drying coffee cherry without the presence of bacteria and fungus can be difficult. Not only does the climate offer a constant struggle, in 2013, San Antonio was also hard hit by coffee leaf rust, meaning the farm had to be completely renewed, leaving Teddy starting from scratch. Seven years on and with the help of Teddy’s team of experts, San Antonio is once again producing some great coffees.

What that got us attracted into purchasing one pallet of Teddy’s coffee is not just the flavour notes but also his primary focus for the San Antonio farm. His commitment to sustainability, for both the environment and the wellbeing of his staffs, of which he hires 100 employees during the low season and 450 in the high season. Regular investment in infrastructure means that Teddy is always looking to better both his crop and the work environment for his team.

San Antonio’s work with Fundación C.a.F.E has meant that all staff now has access to learning materials, helping improve the literacy rate of the migrating pickers who often travel north from Guatemala for work. Workers also receive wages above Mexico’s established minimum wage, with a bonus structure set to reward productivity. The end result is the beautiful cup of coffee now sitting warm in your hand. From Mexico with Love.

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Rio Claro has been in Heleno Bachião Dolivo’s family for three generations. Heleno’s grandfather, Arcanjo Bachião, came from Italy along with a relative, Guerino Bacchion. They settled in Paraguaçu city, Minas Gerais, and began working for several years, saving up money little by little to buy good farming land. After several years, they had saved enough to purchase a plot of land near the town of Nova Resende that the locals advised would be very good for coffee. Arcajo called the family, told them to come over, and they all began working the land together.

Heleno’s father, Ricardo Bachião, was a truly great coffee producer. He was born on the farm and learned to cultivate coffee from childhood. When he finally took control of the family farm, he had little access to technology, yet he would consistently produce 800 to 1,000 bags of coffee every year. His abilities as a farmer became renowned, and he was even elected as the Mayor of Nova Resende in 1978, though he unfortunately passed away shortly afterward.

The name "Rio Claro" means "Clear River" and is simply named after the neighbourhood where the small farm is located. This is common in Brazil in small properties (Sítios), where farms take their names from regions or other local features. Rio Claro is the perfect location for quality coffee production. Located in one of Brazil’s most renowned coffee growing regions (Minas Gerais), the farm benefits from an elevation of just over 1,100 metres above sea level. The natural potential of the land is met by Heleno’s commitment to producing the best quality coffee that he can.

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Try Em' out before purchasing?

All the three single origins listed above are also available in all our retail outlets as  filter brew of the month this October and so if you are keen to have a taste of them first before making a plunge to purchase a bag (or all three), make your way down and speak to our Barista before making the choice.

With the great range of the tasting notes from these three coffees, we are sure there will be something for everyone at home.