April's Rare Ground: Rwanda Jarama — What Makes a Coffee Worth Remembering
Updated November 2026: donation figures and program claims in this post were revised to reflect what has been donated to date.
There's a moment in specialty coffee where a cup surprises you. Not in a novelty way in a this is what coffee is supposed to taste like way. April's Rare Ground lot from Rwanda's Cyiya Village is that kind of coffee.
Here's where it comes from, why it matters, and what to expect when you brew it.
The Lot: Rwanda Jarama, Cyiya Village
This month's microlot comes from the Jarama Washing Station in western Rwanda, operated by the Kivubelt group. It's grown at elevation 1,700 to 1,900 meters above sea level in the Cyiya community near the edge of the Nyungwe Forest, one of Central Africa's oldest rainforests.
That setting isn't incidental. The combination of rich volcanic loam soil, cool temperatures at altitude, and ideal rainfall creates conditions that consistently produce some of the highest-quality lots in the region. This isn't luck. This is terroir.
The farming side: Over 500 smallholder families contribute to Kivubelt's washing stations. These aren't large estates they're individual farmers with small plots, bringing their harvests to a central station for processing. Kivubelt was founded in 2011 specifically to improve both coffee quality and economic outcomes for those farmers. They pay up to 50% above local market rates for exceptional lots. When you buy a bag like this, the traceability goes all the way down.
Why Full Washed Matters Here
The process , full washed, is the reason this coffee tastes the way it does. In a washed coffee, the fruit is removed from the bean before drying, which strips away any fermented or fruity funk and lets the inherent character of the bean and the terroir come through clean.
For a high-altitude Rwandan Bourbon variety, that means clarity. No muddy flavors, no wild fermentation. Just the clean expression of what this soil and elevation actually produce.
That's why the tasting notes on this lot feel precise rather than vague.
What You'll Taste
This lot was roasted medium, leaning medium/light, to keep the natural sweetness and the fruit and floral notes.
In the cup: peach, guava, brown sugar, tea-like florals, and a soft caramel finish.
That's not marketing language. The peach and guava are genuine stone and tropical fruit brightness, the brown sugar is in the body and sweetness of the finish, and the floral note light, almost jasmine-like is why you don't rush the last sip.
It's layered. It rewards slowing down.
How to Brew It
Pour over is where this lot performs best. The clean washed process and the brightness of the fruit notes are designed for the kind of extraction control you get with a V60 or Chemex. Use 200°F water, a medium grind, and give it a 45-second bloom. Let it cool slightly before the first sip the peach note opens up as the temperature drops.
Drip/auto works well too. This is a forgiving roast at medium it won't punish a standard brewer. If your machine runs hot, dial coarser.
French press shifts the profile toward the body. You'll get less of the florals and more of the brown sugar and caramel base. That's not worse it's different. A 4-minute steep, coarse grind, slow plunge.
Where the profits go
A portion of Honorguard's profits supports mental health programs for veterans, like service dogs. Since founding in 2023 we've donated $2,267.23 (as of 2 Nov 2026) to programs including Heavy Hitters Project, Vital Roots Foundation and Guardian Paws Service Dogs. Someday I'd like to build a working ranch in Idaho for veterans; that's a goal, not a promise.
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