This single-origin coffee comes from 11 smallholder producers around Janja Hill in Gakenke District, Rwanda's Northern Province. Grown at 1800-2100 meters altitude, the Red Bourbon variety is washed processed at the Muzo washing station owned by Baho Coffee. The coffee undergoes rigorous sorting with multiple rounds of floating cherries, density sorting, and a final soak. Flavor notes include dried apricot, hibiscus, and oolong tea.
Bow Smith, Holden Curran, and Jessi Lee Cord launched Rowan Coffee in October 2020 as a mobile espresso operation in Asheville, North Carolina, growing quickly into a permanent home. Bow brings nearly a decade of barista, roasting, and management experience, and began roasting in house in January 2023 on a 15 kilo Mill City Roasters machine. Rowan centers mainly on washed process coffees, prizing clarity and complexity, with green beans sourced from specialty importers including Semilla, Osito, Red Fox Coffee Merchants, and The Coffee Quest. Everything is roasted to order on Tuesdays and shipped the following day. The approach is deliberate and seasonal, letting each coffee speak to where and how it was grown.
