We’re excited to announce the release of our roast of the incredible 2014 Rwanda Cup of Excellence. In March, we gave you the chance to taste NY-based Gimme! Coffee’s roast of this award-winning coffee. It was delicious. This month, we’ll introduce you to our own roast of the same coffee.

The official unveiling of Carrboro Coffee’s Rwanda Cup of Excellence roast will be April 16th at 7pm in the main room at Open Eye Cafe. Explore this delicious and rare coffee and enjoy a free screening of A Film About Coffee, a documentary that highlights the work Carrboro Coffee has been engaged in over the past 11 years.

There will be a very limited amount of our Rwanda COE roast available for purchase in whole bean or by the cup at both Caffe Driade and Open Eye Cafe following the release. It’s likely to go fast, so make sure to stop by and get a taste!

The Cup of Excellence award is the most prestigious award a coffee can earn. The program develops and promotes some of the most outstanding coffees in the world, encouraging the production of exemplary quality coffee while benefiting local economies at origin. The rigorous competition is open to any grower in the country, the winning coffees are sold through a worldwide online auction, and all profits are returned to the producing country, with a significant 83% of total auction proceeds returning straight to the farmer. Cup of Excellence award-winning coffees have secured record-breaking prices far above those typically offered, in direct connection to the superior quality of the coffee, and are often only available in small amounts.

This winning Rwanda COE was lot 27 from Murangara CWS, a Private Coffee Washing Station located in Muguba Sector, Karongi District in Western Province. The coffee washing station is very small scale, but has an important role in local communities because it generates jobs, providing income and social benefits to nearby residents. The coffee has a unique profile resulting from the topography conditions of the region. It is grown at 1500 to 1800masl Altitude, with Wet process and Natural sun drying. You can read more about the specifics here.

Carrboro Coffee Roasters president Scott Conary was honored to serve as a judge for the 2013 Rwanda Cup of Excellence competition, and is looking forward to returning this year in July! Read more about his experience in Rwanda in his “Field Report” for Barista Magazine here. It starts on page 34.

Scott and the rest of the Rwanda Cup of Excellence 2013 Judges Panel:

Scott with 2013 national cuppers:

 Traditional dance performance as part of Cup of Excellence 2013 awards ceremony:

Scott with some of the children who received desks donated by him and other Cup of Excellence international judges: