Sholi Top Lot

We’re super excited that it’s time for the Sholi top lot again! We recently visited this Co-op with our head of coffee, our training manager and our roastery manager last year, scroll for pictures of their visit.

Abatraninkunga ba Sholi cooperative are based in the Muhanga region of central Rwanda. They formed in 2008 as a small association by 30 women farmers. It is now an autonomous cooperative boasting 2000 members.

Caravan started working with this group in 2020. We buy both washed and natural processes from Sholi for our core blends, but this lot is a bit more special. Each year Caravan and Sholi hold a competition among the coop members. Natural processed coffees from the group that score 87+ on the sca scoring system are entered into the competition and cupped by both the Sholi quality team and the quality team at Caravan. The highest scoring coffees are then put into a blend, this blend.

The farmers that have produced these lots are awarded with a secondary payment, and as suggested by the producers, each of the winners receives a goat (both incentives paid for by Caravan). It’s always a really exciting time at the roastery when the Sholi Top Lot arrives and we’re ecstatic to share with you.

The Sholi Top Lot represents a select offering from Rwanda's Muhanga region, produced by the Abatraninkunga ba Sholi cooperative and roasted by Caravan Coffee Roasters. Its natural processing method—detailed in our processing methods guide—shapes the coffee's character. Natural-processed coffees tend to develop fuller body and pronounced fruit-forward profiles, as fermentation occurs with the cherry intact. This lot exemplifies the cooperative's commitment to quality selection, with the "Top Lot" designation indicating beans chosen for their distinctive potential. Rwandan coffees from this region are known for their balanced acidity and complexity. Explore the flavor dimensions of this coffee using our flavor wheel to identify its unique sensory characteristics.