Gatare Lot 1171, Rwanda Trading Company, Rwanda | Natural MMY-0217

Gatare is one of Rwanda’s most historic and respected specialty coffee names, centred around the Gatare Washing Station in Nyamasheke District, Western Province, near Lake Kivu. Established in 2003, Gatare is widely regarded as Rwanda’s first modern washing station, playing a key role in shaping the country’s reputation for clean, high-quality washed coffees. The station sources cherry from thousands of smallholder farmers farming the surrounding hillsides at elevations of approximately 1,600–2,000 masl, where fertile soils and cool lake-influenced temperatures support slow cherry development. The coffee is almost exclusively Red Bourbon, carefully hand-picked and processed using a fully washed method that reflects Rwanda’s hallmark style. Cherries are selectively sorted, pulped, fermented, washed, and slowly dried on raised African beds, with close attention paid to lot separation and moisture control. This disciplined approach consistently produces coffees known for their clarity, balance, and elegance. Gatare has earned international recognition through repeated appearances in Cup of Excellence competitions and has long been favoured by specialty roasters seeking a classic, benchmark Rwanda profile. Today, Gatare coffees are often exported through established partners and remain a reference point for what washed Rwandan coffee can deliver.