This coffee's story

Founded in 2016 by brothers Karthick and Gaudam, Muraho Trading Company was built on a simple but ambitious vision: to improve coffee quality while creating meaningful opportunities for the farmers who produce it. Through close collaboration with producers across Rwanda, Muraho has become known for coffees that combine exceptional quality with a strong commitment to transparency and sustainability.

The Shyira Coffee Washing Station, located in Rwanda’s Nyabihu district, is one of the most remarkable examples of this work. Situated at one of the highest elevations in the country, Shyira benefits from a unique climate characterized by cool temperatures, frequent cloud cover, and slow cherry maturation. These conditions contribute to coffees with remarkable clarity, sweetness, and complexity.

Coffee processing at Shyira combines innovation with tradition. Cherries are carefully sorted before being processed using an Eco Pulper, a water-efficient system that significantly reduces environmental impact. Thanks to the region’s naturally humid climate, coffees undergo dry fermentation, a method that helps develop distinctive flavor characteristics while conserving water.

A defining part of the process is the traditional “Ikinimba,” during which workers manually remove remaining mucilage through a rhythmic stomping process inside the fermentation tanks. Far from being ceremonial, this practice plays an important role in quality control, helping to ensure consistent fermentation and clean cup profiles. After fermentation, the coffee is meticulously sorted and dried on raised beds for up to 35 days.

Nyabihu is often referred to as the “place of darkness” due to its dense cloud cover and challenging weather conditions. Heavy rainfall, landslides, and difficult terrain make coffee production demanding, yet the resilience and dedication of the farming community continue to define the region. Despite these challenges, Shyira consistently produces some of Rwanda’s most expressive and sought-after coffees.

The coffees from Shyira are a reflection not only of an exceptional terroir, but also of the people behind them. Their commitment, craftsmanship, and perseverance are present in every cup, creating coffees that tell the story of one of Rwanda’s most distinctive coffee-growing regions.

Processing

Only fully ripe cherries are selected for this natural lot. During harvest, cherries are carefully hand-sorted to remove any underripe fruit, ensuring that only the highest quality cherries continue through the process. Rather than relying on flotation tanks, additional sorting is carried out entirely by hand, allowing damaged or defective cherries to be identified and removed with great precision.

After selection, the cherries are left intact and undergo a slow dry fermentation. During this stage, the fruit remains around the seed, allowing sugars and fruit compounds to gradually influence the cup profile. Fermentation typically lasts around five days, depending on climatic conditions and the characteristics of the harvest.

Following fermentation, the coffee is transferred to traditional raised drying beds where it is spread in thin layers and carefully managed throughout the drying process. Over the course of 30 to 45 days, the cherries are sun-dried, regularly turned and monitored to ensure even moisture loss and to protect the coffee from defects. This slow drying period contributes to the coffee’s clarity, sweetness, and depth of flavor.

Only the highest quality Grade 1 coffee is selected for export. Once drying is complete, the coffee is stored under carefully controlled conditions in clean, well-ventilated warehouses. Bags are placed on pallets elevated above the ground and positioned away from walls to promote airflow and maintain stability during storage.

Traceability is a key part of the operation. Lots are separated by harvest day, plot, and grade, with detailed records maintained throughout processing and storage. This level of organization allows every lot to be tracked back to its origin, ensuring consistency, transparency, and quality at every stage of production.