Sourcing coffee from Burundi (amongst other places in central Africa) used to feel like you were playing poker with the Fates; you could come out with a boon, or you could come out with something you didn’t quite intend- in this case, a cup of coffee that tasted like raw potatoes. It didn’t follow a predictable pattern (seemingly) but every once in a while you’d grind some coffee and get that unmistakable aroma that you are now having French Fries for breakfast. We have always felt that the risk was worth it because the flavors you get from Burundi and the surrounding areas are too good to pass up, even with the occasional spud cup but the funny thing I realized when writing this descriptor profile was that I haven’t thought about Burundi and potatoes for a while… The reason being, it hasn’t entered into any of our conversations as we have sourced and cupped and brewed this lot from Kibingo.

Delicious black cherry (like old-school Thrifty’s ice cream black cherry) combined with a malty and tannic black tea and a really lovely brown sugar make this cup a regular favorite around here and it has a lot of versatility when it comes to brewing. Stretch out the ratio a bit to get more of that high-toned acidity, or keep it tight to have more of a desert-based coffee- either way, you won’t be thinking about tubers when it comes to your coffee cup.

Some notes from our friends at Café Imports: “Most of Burundi's coffee is produced in the highlands of Kayanza. Located in northern Burundi along the border of Rwanda, small producers typically harvest and take cherries to community delivery sites that are all processed together at wet mills. Honeys in Burundi are a rarity, but washing stations lately have been experimenting with this process and it has yielded great results. Ripe cherries are pulped, then immediately placed on raised beds for drying. Regular turning intervals create a honey most similar to the classic Costa Rican honey process that results in elevated levels of red fruits and sweetness in the cup.”

Enjoy!

LOCATION Kayanza, Burundi

PRODUCER 3500 Local Farmers (!!)

IMPORTER Café Imports

PROCESS

METHOD Honey Process

VARIETAL(S) Bourbon

ELEVATION 1893 Masl

OTHER

DESIGNATIONS