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 lot from Dayglow showcases the distinctive potential of anoxic natural processing, a method that emphasizes fruit-forward complexity through controlled fermentation. Produced by Shyira in Rwanda's Nyabihu District, the coffee demonstrates how Red Bourbon—a varietal prized for sweetness and balance—responds to this deliberate anaerobic approach. The combination yields pineapple clarity and creamy texture alongside marzipan sweetness, suggesting the anoxic natural method has amplified both the fruit expression and body typical of this terroir. For those exploring how processing technique shapes final cup character, this lot offers an accessible entry point into how oxygen-restricted fermentation can highlight varietal strengths. Refer to the flavor wheel to map these tasting dimensions.