December 3

It is with great pride we call Flight Coffee friends. When we set about entering the coffee industry in 2015, we approached Flight Coffee. Batting well above our weight, we are ever grateful that they were picking up what we were putting down. Seeing through the lack of experience (read none) to see a passion for the coffee industry, its fair to say that they’re our original inspiration. The Kickstarter campaign for El Fenix, their own farm in Colombia was the first time we really stopped to consider where our coffee came from and how we could have an impact. Without hesitation (despite our startup situation) we jumped onboard to support their vision as they have so often ours.

This story was to become one of the key inspirations, followed by another inspirational coffee story Vunga, Rwanda. One we covered in our April 2021 collaboration.

It was flight who made us fall in love with Rwanda when they released one of their earliest coffees from Muraho Trading Company via Raw material, today we present one of their latest, from the highest known washing station in Rwanda, located in Nyabihu district (Home also to a little station called Vunga, you may have heard of).

Today, we’re heading on a journey to Nyabihu, not for Vunga, but for another Coffee Wasing Station that is very special to us, a station that we’ve enjoyed coffee from year upon year.

Its with great pride that we can today share coffee from the families represented by Muraho Trading Company, and a very special station indeed.

(Words by Muraho Trading Company) Following the success of our coffee washing stations (CWS) in Nyamasheke District in our first year, we wanted to expand our regional flavour profiles we had to offer and look for a truly unique area of Rwanda. We set out to look for an area that not only has tremendous potential in producing high quality coffee but where we could make a bigger impact through specialty coffee. We went on to build Shyira CWS with the belief of making a positive influence in the area and producing a truly unique style and taste of coffee that differs from all other Rwandan coffees. Shyira was born in January 2017.

Our “Little Baby” Shyira is the smallest of all our CWS however it is the highest located known in Rwanda sitting at 1850m above sea level. Shyira is an hour drive up the hills from the township of Musanze (Ruhengeri). The weather conditions, soil type and its high-altitude lands makes this CWS an ideal setting for high-quality coffee processing and production. On the drive up to the CWS, when you reach on top of the Shyira hills, you will be met with a view that will take your breath away - the chain of volcanoes in between the beautiful beasts of Rwanda the Mountain Gorillas come from to the waterfalls of the wonderful Gicice river. As if that is not enough, combined with the valley full of white sands, fog covering hills and good weather makes Shyira truly unique and one of a kind. It is often debated between our families and guests which of the three is more beautiful between Shyira, Kilimbi and Gisheke. Let’s just say it is a very close battle!

Region: Nyabihu District

Varietal: Red Bourbon

Process: Washed

Altitude: 1850 - 2000 MASL

Producer: Shyira CWS

Enjoying Syrira? Grab yourself a bag here.

Photo credit: Muraho Trading Co.