DR Congo SOPACDI

Tasting Notes: Orange Marmalade, Chocolate

Process: Washed

Cooperative: SOPACDI

Region: Kivu

Elevation: 1600-1800 masl

Variety: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai

Importer: Cafe Imports

This coffee is from SOPACDI, a cooperative of farmers scattered throughout the highlands surrounding Lake Kivu, a richly diverse area in terms of elevation, flora, and climate. The high elevations of the Virunga mountains are temperate, rainy, and volcanic creating an ideal climate for coffee production.

SOPACDI was created to enable local producers to unite together and commercialize their coffee for direct collective international export instead of having to transport the coffee themselves overseas on a dangerous journey. Before SOPACDI was founded, farmers had to smuggle coffee across Lake Kivu to Rwanda to barter for food and goods. This sometimes resulted in people losing their lives when attempting to cross the lake in bad weather. Thankfully, SOPACDI’s creation means coffee producers can now safely cultivate high quality coffee together to export internationally.

This is a light roast lover's medium roast. Or a medium roast lover's light roast. It's got some really awesome jammy orange notes on the front end that reminds us of a washed Ethiopian coffee but with a little bit more chocolate in the cup that keeps the acidity from being too overpowering. Basically it's well balanced and really nice. Check it out!