What does Umugani mean?

At Stori Coffee, we’re really excited to launch our signature Umugani Espresso Roast. First off, why Umugani. It’s a Rwandan term (in Kinyarwanda) which we used when we were sitting around the fire with our elders, we’d tell our children, “come listen to a story from an elder.” This was such a special time for me growing up, it essentially means story time.

I’ve thought a lot about what it means to have a signature espresso blend for a coffee company. It’s really the anchor to your coffee company. The magic of any roaster is their espresso blend, and the intentional choices they make to preserve, extract, and combine the flavors of origin to create just the right blend. And, as I searched for a name I wanted it to reflect what Stori Coffee is all about, and I settled on Umugani. An espresso blend is the glue that holds a coffee company together, and for people stories are the glue that hold us together. Our Umugani Espresso roast pays homage to the tradition of story time, and we hope it inspires you to do the same.

How do we insure traceability with our blends?

We blend our coffee once it arrives at our roasting facility. So each coffee is sourced from origin, and we ensure that we source coffee that ensures farmers are paid fairly. This specific blend comes from our friends at the Hingakawa co-op. I’ve known these women since the co-op was founded, and it’s a huge joy to be able to work with them to create our very first signature blend.

About this Coffee

Our Umugani Blend is a velvety, espresso roast, blend of natural and washed coffee, produced by the women of the Hingakawa Coop in Rwanda. As you sip this coffee you’ll notice notes of dark chocolate and cherry. The Umugani Blend comes from the Western Province, Gakenke District, Rushashi Sector at 1°43'40.2""S, 29°51'24.0""E at elevation 1700-1900. These Bourbon, Arabica varietals are grown in volcanic soil.

How should I brew this coffee?

When it comes to brewing your coffee at home, there are a number of ways you may choose to brew your coffee. These are often dependent on the tools available to you, and your personal preference.

While this coffee is an espresso roast, it doesn’t have to be used strictly to pull espresso shots. We’ve talked about the difference between espresso roasts and espresso shots in this post, but to summarize it this coffee will be delicious if you use a different brew method.

Despite the choice of brewing method (equipment) you may have, there are four key fundamental elements that ultimately impact flavor. These four elements are freshness, grind, proportions, and water. Adjusting each of these can assist in extracting your optimum flavor, time and time again. You can read more about how to optimally brew your coffee here . 

How to Pair this Coffee

If you’ve never paired your coffee before, you’re missing out on a treat! Being intentional about the food you eat with your coffee can open up a whole new world of flavors. You can learn more about why pairing is important here. We’d suggest pairing our Umugani Espresso Roast with:

• Chocolate covered raisins or cherries
• Blueberry Muffin
• Cranberry Goat cheese