DR Congo Idjwi Island

Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes, measuring about 25 miles across, and the 12th deepest lake in the world. It sits between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. On the Congo side, there's an inhabited island which ferries in most of their supplies, but they do grow cassava, beans, coffee, and bananas. The coffee is amazing, and this is our first time getting our hands on it! I knew that the best coffee in DR Congo is what grows around Lake Kivu, which is the same Lake Kivu that Rwanda grows great coffee around (just on the other side of the lake). But the VERY best coffee appears to be the coffee grown IN Lake Kivu! 

These are bourbon varietal beans grown at 4000+ feet altitude. Washed process. We roast it as a light medium. Maybe just a couple of the early snaps of 2nd cracks, but not actually into the 2nd cracks yet. I'm sure you can go darker and get that classic DR Congo profile of pipe tobacco and autumn leaves, and lighter roasts bring out lime and cinnamon, but for me, the medium roast is where it shines. I get the flavor of a gingersnap cookie. It's sweet like molasses with a bite of cinnamon and ginger. Hint of lemondrop candy. Hint of baked goods flavor and toasty oolong tea, but not thin bodied. Slightly puckery aftertaste that keeps you sipping at it. 

Very fun coffee to talk about and to experiment with and to drink. 

US arrival: December 2025