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Congo Rebuild Women’s Hope Collective – Mela Coffee

Andrew Pautler

Congo Rebuild Women's Hope Collective - Mela

Coffee Details

  • Coffee Name
    Congo Rebuid Women's Hope Collective
  • Roaster
    Mela Coffee Roasting Co.
  • Roaster Location
    Wenatchee, Washington
  • Estimated Price
    $15.00 / 12 oz
  • Flavor Notes
    Pineapple, vanilla, brown sugar, baking spice, and a syrupy, juicy body
  • Process
    Fermentation tanks at central washing stations
  • Varieties
    Bourbon
  • Country
    Congo
  • Region
    South Kivu
  • Elevation
    1480-2000 MASL
  • Producer
    Cooperative
  • Roast
    Light
  • Review Brew Method
    v60, Origami dripper, espresso
  • Roast Date
    August 14, 2020
  • Review Date
    August 22, 2020

Coffee Scoring

8.9
Aroma
8.5 / 10
Body
9.5 / 10
Flavor
9 / 10
Acidity/Brightness
8.5 / 10
Balance
9 / 10
Sweetness
9 / 10
Cleanliness
9 / 10
Aftertaste
8.5 / 10
Complexity
9 / 10
Flexibility
9 / 10
Pros
  • Rich, full body
  • Unique from other African origins

Cons
  • Would prefer a bit brighter/more acidity

This coffee review was sponsored by Crema.co. Creama.co is the Spotify of coffee. They offer hundreds of coffees from roasters across the country that you can buy with a one-time order or as a subscription. Get $10 off your first bag now.

While I drink African coffee more than any other origin, the Democratic Republic of Congo is a country I have very little experience with. That is likely because quality coffee is hard to come by from Congo given years of civil unrest. Things are changing though as the international aid community and speciality coffee has shown an interest in coffee production in the central African country. This coffee from Mela is part of that resurgence and is from the Rebuild Women’s Hope, a collective started by Marcelline Budza with a vision to place women at the center of the integral development of her community and that building the hope of women is building the hope of the entire nation.

The coffee’s fragrance features notes of chocolate, deep fruit and blackberry. In the flavor I tasted notes of blackberry, chocolate, fruit and vanilla. The flavor was incredibly rich, sweet and creamy. It had a full, rounded mouthfeel that felt incredibly rich and decadent with every sip. The acidity was balanced and the sweetness was rich and chocolatey. I really enjoyed the complexity of the cup; there was a great depth to the flavors and a nice evolution with every sip.

The Bottom Line

I always love a good story behind the cup of coffee I drink. Direct trade, socially responsible cooperatives, etc. all enrich the story of the coffee we get to drink each morning. Unfortunately many times a great story doesn’t necessarily translate into a great cup of coffee, so it is really exciting when it does. Congo Rebuild Women’s Hope Collective from Mela is rich, decadent cup of coffee with a great profile and flavor backed up by a great story.

This coffee review was sponsored by Crema.co. Creama.co is the Spotify of coffee. They offer hundreds of coffees from roasters across the country that you can buy with a one-time order or as a subscription. Get $10 off your first bag now.

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