Editorial sacred-geometry artwork for Buliza; not a documentary photograph

Editorial illustration

🇷🇼Rwanda · Rulindo

Buliza

Roasted by Counter Culture CoffeeRoaster's website

TRADITIONAL PROCESS

TagsRwanda Rulindo Washed Light roast Arabica Single origin Buliza washing station UCOCARU cooperative union Counter Culture Coffee Independent

🇷🇼RwandaWashedField BlendLight roast

Brand

Counter Culture Coffee

Roaster website

Visit website

Country

🇷🇼Rwanda

Region

Rulindo

Town

Rulindo

Farm / Station

Buliza washing station

Farmer / Producer

UCOCARU cooperative union

Species

Arabica

Type

Single origin

Grade

Not specified

Variety

Field Blend

Process

Roast

Light

Tasting notes

cranberry, fruit leather, crisp

Fermentation

—

Drying

—

Product page

Roaster's site

Date reviewed

—

Why some details are blank

altitude mThe source publishes a 1,790–2,000 m contributor-farm range, not one exact lot elevation.
fermentationCounter Culture labels the coffee washed but does not publish release-specific fermentation duration, vessel, or conditions.
drying methodThe exact release does not publish a drying platform, location, or duration.
cultivar percentagesBourbon Mayaguez 71 and 139 are named, but their proportions are not disclosed.
individual farms and farmersCounter Culture documents more than 2,100 UCOCARU members but does not identify contributors to this exact lot.
station operator continuityThe 2023 exact release documents a private-station partnership with UCOCARU; later Buliza sources name Caferwa or RWACOF for different lots, so current operator details are not transferred.
public sentiment ratingThe exact-release catalog shows zero ratings, and no qualifying independent exact-release numeric review was verified.
original tasting scoreWho Makes the Best Coffee has not documented tasting and scoring this release; the 88.9 auction score belongs to a different 2026 lot.

Spotted an error? Report a correction →

The transparency chain

FROM THE BAG
BACK TO THE LAND.

Every link we could verify, traced in one place. Follow the chain as far as it goes — when the industry doesn't disclose a link, we say so instead of guessing.

01
The name on the bag
Buliza
Named on the bag
02
The brand
Counter Culture Coffee
Documented
03
The roaster
Counter Culture Coffee
Documented
04
The variety
Field Blend
Documented
05
The farm
Buliza washing station
Documented
06
The farmer
UCOCARU cooperative union
Documented
07
The region
Rulindo
Documented
08
The country
🇷🇼Rwanda
Documented

From the producer

More than 2,100 UCOCARU members supplied fresh cherry to the privately owned Buliza washing station for this 2023 release. Counter Culture describes the cooperative–station agreement as a way to reduce infrastructure and debt risk for members while giving the station a predictable supply.

From the roaster

Counter Culture Coffee is a specialty roaster known for its commitment to direct trade, transparency, and sustainable sourcing practices.

Why this coffee is noteworthy

A traceable 2023 Rwandan station lot documenting an unusual UCOCARU–private washing-station partnership, two Bourbon Mayaguez cultivars, high-elevation washed production, transparent retail and FOB pricing, and a classic red-fruit profile. Later Buliza lots with different farmers, operators, processing recipes, or scores remain separate evidence.

The honest process breakdown

WHAT DID THEY ACTUALLY
DO TO THIS COFFEE?

2023 release verified

Counter Culture confirms Rulindo, UCOCARU, Buliza washing station, washed processing, Bourbon Mayaguez 71 and 139, 1,790–2,000 meters, April–May 2023, kosher certification, light roast, and cranberry, fruit-leather, and crisp descriptors.

Retail price structured

CoffeeList’s exact-release catalog records $23 for 12 ounces. Counter Culture’s $3.92/lb FOB figure remains labeled as producer-payment context rather than retail price.

Station and cooperative roles preserved

The station is privately owned and partnered with UCOCARU for this release; the cooperative union is not presented as the station owner.

Later lots separated

A 2026 Best of Rwanda auction lot names 26 farmers, Caferwa, Red Bourbon, 23-day drying, and an 88.9 score, while a current Sucafina listing describes RWACOF and a different processing recipe. None of those details is transferred to Counter Culture’s 2023 lot.

What was added?

No flavoring agents or processing additions are documented.

What wasn't added?

The exact release does not disclose fermentation duration, washing protocol, drying platform, drying duration, or cultivar percentages.

Why it matters

The profile now closes the structured price and bag-size gap while preventing same-station evidence from different years and operators from contaminating the 2023 release.

What you might taste

Counter Culture lists fresh cranberry, dried fruit leather, and a crisp, clean body.

Sources for these process claims

· https://counterculturecoffee.com/products/buliza
· https://www.coffeelist.co/b/counter-culture-coffee/buliza
· https://bestofrwandacoffee.com/en/lots/buliza-cws
· https://sucafina.com/emea/offerings/buliza-fully-washed

Coffee profile

In the database. Not tasted. Not scored.

This coffee is in our database because we can reliably document it — but we haven't tasted and scored it yet, and we never publish a score we haven't earned.

Outside reviews and internet discussion — is kept clearly separate from our own review. When we taste it, our full review appears here.

The internet pulse

What the internet is saying about this coffee

Research complete — no qualifying reviews yet

Our research pipeline scanned public reviews, videos, forums and discussions for this coffee (last pass 2026-11-10) and found no independent review of this exact release that meets our verification standards. When qualifying sources appear, they'll be published here.

What we found

CoffeeList’s exact-release page shows zero ratings; its profile sliders and roaster-derived descriptors are not independent tasting scores. A 2026 Best of Rwanda competition lot and current Sucafina Buliza offering are different lots and were excluded from exact-release sentiment. No numeric rating was calculated.

Until then, meet the people behind it:

Meet the farm: Buliza washing station →Meet the farmer: UCOCARU cooperative union →

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Buliza

FROM THE BAGBACK TO THE LAND.

WHAT DID THEY ACTUALLYDO TO THIS COFFEE?

In the database. Not tasted. Not scored.

What the internet is saying about this coffee

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Your coffee interests. Every section.

FROM THE BAG
BACK TO THE LAND.

WHAT DID THEY ACTUALLY
DO TO THIS COFFEE?