Rwandan Coffee Barista came in Top 10 winners of 2019 International Barista Championship

The Inspirer.

Bel Ami Gahunga, a Rwandan Barista from Bourbon Coffee made it to the top 10 winners of International Barista Championship that took place in China this month.

Gahunga was with 230 total contestant baristas from 65 countries of the globe.

Bourbon is a cultivar of Coffea arabica. Bourbon grows best at heights between 1,100 and 2,000 meters. The temperature at that level is most conducive for having optimum produce and best quality. Rwanda is at an average height of 1,800 meters above sea level. This offers Bourbon a unique opportunity to offer her clients the best coffee in the world.

With the initiation of the coffee barcoding system, Bourbon coffee products can be tracked to the farmer. By establishing relationships with farmers, Bourbon does not only support and promote their business, but also monitors their activities to ensure the coffee beans are carefully hand-picked, de-husked and washed in the most delicate manner to preserve the natural goodness of the coffee.

Bourbon opened its first café in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, in 2007. For many Rwandan coffee farmers, Bourbon offered their first opportunity to have their product served at a high-end café setting locally and abroad. Experiencing the world of specialty coffee has inspired them to transition into high-quality production methods.

The goal for Rwanda is to rise above selling her coffee (some of the finest in the world) as a commodity-grade bulk product but rather as a unique specialty coffee with traceable identity.