{"title":"Congo","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"congo-kivu-village","title":"Congo Umoja Wetu","description":"\u003cp\u003eCongo is one of the most dangerous and difficult places from which to source coffee. It's known for kidnapping -- even of humanitarians, UN workers, and foreign diplomats -- armed robberies, citizens posing as police, absolute corruption and violence; as well as disease outbreaks and civil unrest. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUmoja Wetu means \"my unity\" and symbolizes how coffee could potentially be used to being peace to the country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCongo (sharing a mountain range with Uganda) does have 11,000 coffee farmers and the potential for good coffee if someone can figure out how to get it out of the country, over to the port, and out of Afirca. We met a Congo citizen at a coffee convention last year who excitedly sampled us on some of the coffee he was working to get out of the country. He has managed to form a co-op of sorts, increase the quality, get the farmers both fair trade certified and organic certified, and he also is labeling it \"Peace Certified\" to indicate that he can vouch that the money is going to the farmers who are trying to make a living -- not to the terrorists or kidnappers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis washed process coffee reminds me very much of an Ugandan coffee. It has those notes of dates and fig and cocoa, it is smooth -- very milky, almost like cashew milk. Maybe slight hints of peach in lighter roasts, but the lighter roasts have some astringency, and the dark roasts have bitterness, so we have been roasting it just 10 seconds or so into the second cracks. Basically a dark-medium roast. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's extremely high quality for a Congo coffee. It's not as good as the price would suggest, but it is extremely difficult to get Congo coffee and not die in the process; and it is very difficult to do business with Congo and know that you are supporting the right people; and our Congo friend is forever grateful for the good he is able to do with the proceeds as this year's coffee crop sells to various roasters who are willing to pay the price to help out the cause. So if you want a really nice Congo bean, here it is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is the January 2020 arrival. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"happymugcoffee","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":19630896775256,"sku":null,"price":6.88,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"congo-washed-kivu-lake","title":"Congo Washed Kivu Lake","description":"\u003cp\u003eCongo is one of the most dangerous and difficult places from which to source coffee. Equal Exchange made a lot of progress in the past three years in getting coffee out of the country, and each year the quality has been improving. We sampled some Congo about 5 years ago and it was some of the worst coffee we've ever tasted, to the point that we still joke about a coffee being \"bad, but not Congo bad!\" It wasn't until last crop that we actually brought some in to sell, and even then, it was more about helping the cause than it was that we were excited about the coffee itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut Congo has made it! This year's crop is exceptional. We bought both the washed and natural processed coffees from the Virunga Coffee Company, which is a South African group of businessmen who have gone into the DR Congo and set up a Fair Trade co-op of roughly 6000 farmers. Through investing, education, and marketing, they have brought the world some crops Congo should be proud of.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe best coffee in Congo is growing around Lake Kivu, which is the same Lake Kivu that Rwanda grows great coffee around (just on the other side of the lake). These are bourbon varietal beans grown at 3000-4000 feet altitude on \u003cspan\u003ethe Nyiragongo volcano right beside the lake\u003c\/span\u003e. Congo coffee is known for having a pipe tobacco aroma -- sort of like burning autumn leaves -- and this one has it prominently. It has quite a bit of acidity even at a medium roast level, which is a nice surprise. There's a little bit of lime and a little bit of fig, a little smokiness. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe like it just at the verge of 2nd cracks. Roasts lighter than this can venture into grassy vegetal territory. Roasts darker than this lose their sweetness and fruity flavors, although are not altogether unpleasant. Our sweet spot is to end the roast a couple degrees before the 2nd cracks start, but if you hold out and hear a few snaps of the 2nd cracks, you'll be fine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUS arrival: January 2024\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"happymugcoffee","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":19630899298392,"sku":null,"price":6.1,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0045\/8548\/8472\/products\/IMG20230214150718.jpg?v=1738611711"},{"product_id":"congo-natural-kivu-lake","title":"Congo Honey Kivu Lake","description":"\u003cp\u003eCongo is one of the most dangerous and difficult places from which to source coffee. Equal Exchange made a lot of progress in the past three years in getting coffee out of the country, and each year the quality has been improving. We sampled some Congo about 5 years ago and it was some of the worst coffee we've ever tasted, to the point that we still joke about a coffee being \"bad, but not Congo bad!\" It was more about helping the cause than it was that we were excited about the coffee itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut Congo has made it! This year's crop is very nice. It made it to the US via the Virunga Coffee Company, which is a South African group of businessmen who have gone into the DR Congo and set up a Fair Trade co-op of roughly 6000 farmers. Through investing, education, and marketing, they have brought the world some crops Congo should be proud of.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe best coffee in Congo is growing around Lake Kivu, which is the same Lake Kivu that Rwanda grows great coffee around (just on the other side of the lake). These are bourbon varietal beans grown at 3000-4000 feet altitude on \u003cspan\u003ethe Nyiragongo volcano right beside the lake\u003c\/span\u003e. This is the honey-processed lot, and you have to roast it carefully. Lots of airflow and barely roast it past the end of the first cracks. 10-15 seconds after the cracks stop, you're done. It has a lot of lemon and floral notes with a strong honey taste. No earthiness or defects noted in the aftertaste.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is the January 2023 arrival. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"happymugcoffee","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":19630899331160,"sku":null,"price":5.84,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0045\/8548\/8472\/products\/702.jpg?v=1738611710"},{"product_id":"dr-congo-kirumba-hutwe","title":"DR Congo Bugarula Washed","description":"\u003cp\u003eDR Congo is one of the most dangerous and difficult places from which to source coffee. This washed coffee was milled at the Buagrula station at 5000 feet altitude in the Kirumba zone, a very challenging region plagued with rebel groups. The station processes coffee from smallholder farmers and the coffee here is typically of the Bourbon varietal, which thrives in these high altitudes, as well as a local varietal called \u003cem\u003eRumangabo\u003c\/em\u003e. The farmers growing this coffee have formed a co-op (SOPACDI).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-decoded=\"true\" data-appearance=\"default\" data-element=\"main\" data-content-type=\"html\"\u003eThis is on the Eastern side of DR Congo which borders Uganda and Lake Kivu. The coffee has organic certification and is not sorted by size, but is sorted for defects. \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-decoded=\"true\" data-appearance=\"default\" data-element=\"main\" data-content-type=\"html\"\u003eThis year's crop is above average.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-decoded=\"true\" data-appearance=\"default\" data-element=\"main\" data-content-type=\"html\"\u003eI like to roast it light, like a Costa Rica. Maybe 20-25 seconds past the end of the first cracks. I'm tasting hints of pineapple and lime aftertaste, good body, not acidic, not earthy, honey sweetness. But you can also roast it to the verge of the 2nd cracks, and here it reminds me of a Rwanda coffee. At that roast level you taste a little bit of fruit and a little bit of chocolate, with some grilled lime smoky bitterness. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoasts darker than this lose their sweetness and fruity flavors, although are not altogether unpleasant. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is the November 2024 arrival. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"happymugcoffee","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32560714252376,"sku":null,"price":5.7,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0045\/8548\/8472\/products\/congoburlapbag.jpg?v=1738611536"},{"product_id":"congo-kivu-lake-natural","title":"Congo Kivu Lake Natural","description":"\u003cp\u003eCongo is one of the most dangerous and difficult places from which to source coffee. Equal Exchange made a lot of progress in the past three years in getting coffee out of the country, and each year the quality has been improving. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis year's crop is very nice. It made it to the US via the Virunga Coffee Company, which is a South African group of businessmen who have gone into the DR Congo and set up a Fair Trade co-op of roughly 6000 farmers. Through investing, education, and marketing, they have brought the world some crops Congo should be proud of.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe best coffee in Congo is growing around Lake Kivu, which is the same Lake Kivu that Rwanda grows great coffee around (just on the other side of the lake). These are bourbon varietal beans grown at 3000-4000 feet altitude on \u003cspan\u003ethe Nyiragongo volcano right beside the lake and processed at the Katana mill\u003c\/span\u003e. This is the natural-processed lot, which means you have to keep it a light roast. Lots of airflow and barely roast it past the end of the first cracks. 10-15 seconds after the cracks stop, you're done. It has a lot of lemon and floral notes with a strong honey taste. No earthiness or defects noted in the aftertaste.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is the November 2024 arrival. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"happymugcoffee","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49884469428511,"sku":null,"price":6.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0045\/8548\/8472\/products\/702.jpg?v=1738611710"},{"product_id":"dr-congo-idjwi-island","title":"DR Congo Idjwi Island","description":"\u003cp\u003eLake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes, measuring about 25 miles across, and the 12th deepest lake in the world. It sits between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. On the Congo side, there's an inhabited island which ferries in most of their supplies, but they do grow \u003cspan\u003ecassava, beans, coffee, and bananas. The coffee is amazing, and this is our first time getting our hands on it! \u003c\/span\u003eI knew that the best coffee in DR Congo is what grows around Lake Kivu, which is the same Lake Kivu that Rwanda grows great coffee around (just on the other side of the lake). But the VERY best coffee appears to be the coffee grown IN Lake Kivu! \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are bourbon varietal beans grown at 4000+ feet altitude. Washed process. We roast it as a light medium. Maybe just a couple of the early snaps of 2nd cracks, but not actually into the 2nd cracks yet. I'm sure you can go darker and get that classic DR Congo profile of pipe tobacco and autumn leaves, and lighter roasts bring out lime and cinnamon, but for me, the medium roast is where it shines. I get the flavor of a gingersnap cookie. It's sweet like molasses with a bite of cinnamon and ginger. Hint of lemondrop candy. Hint of baked goods flavor and toasty oolong tea, but not thin bodied. Slightly puckery aftertaste that keeps you sipping at it. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVery fun coffee to talk about and to experiment with and to drink. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUS arrival: December 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"happymugcoffee","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51480491622687,"sku":null,"price":7.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0045\/8548\/8472\/products\/IMG20230214150718.jpg?v=1738611711"}],"url":"https:\/\/happymugcoffee.mom\/collections\/congo.oembed","provider":"Happy Mug","version":"1.0","type":"link"}