Muzo, Espresso - Rwanda

Muzo is the smallest of the four washing stations managed by Baho Coffee and takes its name from the area in which it sits. Built by the Muzo cooperative, it entered a ten-year agreement with Baho in 2014 after the cooperative ran into financial difficulty. Baho brought its expertise and management model while preserving much of the cooperative's own systems and autonomy.

Farmers delivering to Muzo work small plots of around 250 trees, intercropped with maize and potatoes, yet coffee remains their most important source of income across the year. The station supports them with protective equipment, seedlings to renew ageing trees, small loans for production costs, medical care and school fees, and training in hygiene, sanitation and clean water access. Its Farmer Field Schools group 20 to 30 neighbouring farmers, who elect a relay farmer to train at the station and lead the group from a central demonstration plot.

Every cherry is hand sorted and floated on arrival, sorting alone employs more than 70% of the seasonal workforce. Cherries are dry pulped on a McKinnon and fermented for 24 hours in covered tanks kept in the shade, twice the usual time, for greater complexity in the cup. The parchment is partially washed, soaked, then dried on raised beds under shade nets at 25–35°C, with sun exposure limited to six hours in the late afternoon. This lot took 32 days to reach its optimal moisture level.

• Region: Gakenke, Northern province
• Country: Rwanda
• Elevation: 1,570 - 2,200 masl
• Variety: Red Bourbon
• Process: Washed

Available in 250g bags.