Shyira

Returning to Shyira for our first Distinction release of the year, we selected a standout Anoxic Natural from one of Rwanda’s most remote washing stations.

Perched at 2,000 metres in the cool mountains of Nyabihu District, Shyira is one of Rwanda’s highest and most remote washing stations. A river running below the station provides a constant source of fresh water for processing.

This limited lot of Red Bourbon was a standout on the cupping table with a pineapple clarity, a creamy texture, and marzipan sweetness.

Each lot begins with careful hand-sorting and flotation, ensuring only the ripest cherries continue through processing. The cherries are placed in a sealed fermentation tank beneath cool water, creating an oxygen-free environment for a slow, controlled 48-hour fermentation.

The water helps regulate temperature throughout the process, keeping conditions stable at around 25°C to protect the character and sweetness of the fruit.

After fermentation, the cherries are rinsed and dried whole on raised beds for four to five weeks. Turned every 30 minutes to encourage even airflow and drying, the result is a coffee with clarity, sweetness, and balance in the cup.

This Shyira microlot from Rwanda's Nyabihu District represents an intriguing intersection of producer and process. The Red Bourbon varietal, grown at 2000 masl, has been processed using anoxic fermentation—a method that emphasizes fruit development and textural complexity through controlled oxygen deprivation during fermentation. Dayglow highlights pineapple clarity and marzipan sweetness alongside a creamy mouthfeel, suggesting the anoxic approach has amplified both fruit expression and sweetness while preserving the varietal's inherent structure.

Natural-processed coffees tend toward heavier fruit and body; this coffee's brighter pineapple-forward profile may reflect the specific microclimate and altitude of the Nyabihu terroir interacting with the anoxic fermentation technique. The combination of clarity and sweetness makes it a compelling example of how process choices can shape a coffee's sensory identity.