Each year, we eagerly anticipate coffees from Burundi, specifically from Kayanza. Gahahe is an outstanding washing station just south of Kayanza and produces exceptional, terroir-focused profiles. In the cup we find dark fruit, blood orange, and baking spice.
Field Blend
Kayanza
1,850 masl
April, 2024
Hand-picked at peak ripeness. Floated and hand-sorted to further remove defects. De-pulped on the day of harvest. Single dry-fermented for 12 hours. Rinsed in fresh water. Density graded. Dried on traditional African raised beds for 16-20 days until moisture content reaches 10.5%.
Kayanza consistently produces some of our favorite coffees and some of the world’s most distinctive, terroir-driven profiles. Like most washing stations in Burundi, Gahahe receives coffee grown in small, garden-like plots tended by local farmers. Around 600 producers bring their cherries to the Gahahe washing station. It is the southernmost washing station we work with, giving Gahahe a unique profile that remains true to the Lake Kivu region.
Varieties in Burundi are not exactly straightforward. We know that Red Bourbon and Mibirizi are being cultivated; however, we don't know at what relative percentages. Based on the history of production in Burundi there is also most likely some SL34 being grown as well.
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.