Thumbnail Filmstrip of Burundi Inyambo Images

About Burundi Inyambo

Arrived mid November 2024, mid crop, in Ecotact.

This coffee is a blend of Bourbons originating from several washing stations in the Ngozi and Kayanza regions of Burundi, in the north near the border of Rwanda. This greater region is known for producing some of the country's best coffees.

Quality assurance begins as soon as farmers deliver their cherry to one of a dozen collection sites located close to farms in order to minimize time from picking. Cherries are wet processed under constant supervision. The pulping, fermentation time, washing, grading in the channels and a final soaking is closely monitored. All cherry is floated in small buckets as a first step to check quality. After floating, the higher quality cherry is sorted again by hand to remove all damaged, underripe and overripe cherries.

After sorting, cherry is pulped within 6 hours of delivery. The coffee is then fermented in water from a nearby stream for 10-12 hours, depending on ambient temperature. Trained agronomists check the beans by hand regularly to ensure fermentation is halted at the perfect time. After fermentation is completed, coffee is run through washing and grading canals. As the beans flow through, wooden bars that are laid across the canal prevent beans of specific densities from passing through. These bars are spaced across the channel. While the first blockade stops the most-dense beans, the next is arranged to stop the second most-dense beans and so on. In total, the channel separates beans into seven grades according to density. After washing, this parchment (coffee beans in their husks) is poured onto wooden trays or nylon bags and carried to the drying tables, each in its separate quality group. Each tray and nylon bag of parchment keeps its traceability tag with all info.

The beans are then transported to the drying tables where they will dry slowly for 2-3 weeks. Pickers go over the drying beans for damaged or defective beans that may have been missed in previous quality checks.The parchment is left to dry from sunrise to sunset and is covered with a sheet during the evening or when it rains. During this time, parchment is turned regularly. The moisture level is carefully monitored and any parchment with visual defects is removed.

The overall quality of the coffee in Burundi, particularly in the northwestern hills, is high and improving steadily as premiums for top quality are being paid to farmer members of each washing station. Since coffee marketing legislation was enacted in 2008, direct sales contracts became permitted between Burundian producers and international coffee buyers, roasters and importers. Further, the legislation permits the payment of a quality premium to those responsible for producing "specialty" coffee (producers, washing station management teams and dry millers). Coffee must be harvested only when ripe and be processed promptly. This follows a similar model in Rwanda where coffee quality has also seen major improvement in recent years.

Specialty coffee has been growing in Burundi in recent years because it earns farmers more money. Indeed natural conditions augur well for growing top coffee as there is volcanic soil and mist covered mountains, all set almost astride the equator. Selected lots can be had, often without pedigree, but with a very sophisticated palate - a terrific situation for savvy consumers. Great quality at attractive prices. High grown coffee from Burundi, particularly those from Kayanza, Ngozi and Muyinga provinces are making a name for themselves as single origin espresso coffees.

Country: Burundi
Washing Station: Several in Ngozi and Kayanza
Altitude: 1600 - 1900 meters
Varietal: Bourbon
Harvest: April
Processing: 12 hour soaking fermentation. Fully Washed
Drying: Sun dried on raised beds, 2-3 weeks
Dry Mill: Budeca

The majority of coffee in Burundi is grown by subsistance farmers, who grow food crops for their own supply as well as some cash crops (like coffee), not on larger factory farms or plantations, as is the norm in other countries. Coffee, once picked, is rushed to the local washing station for processing. The traditional processing method involves pulping the coffee and "dry fermenting" it up to twelve hours, at which point it gets washed in clean mountain water for another 12-24 hours. The beans are then soaked for an additional 12-18 hours before being dried in parchment on raised beds for 8-10 days.

About 90% of the population relies on farming for a living and coffee is the main product being farmed. There are more than 600,000 coffee farmers in Burundi so it is easy to see how critical quality, exportable coffee is to the nation. The overall quality is good and it is our job to find the gems. The popularity of specialty coffee production has risen in Burundi in recent years, as it earns higher premiums for farmer members of washing stations. Coffee marketing legislation enacted in 2008 allows for direct sales contracts between Burundian producers and international coffee buyers, roasters and importers (exportation and marketing were previously controlled by the government). This legislation also permits the payment of a quality premium to those responsible for producing "specialty" coffee, which follows a similar model in Rwanda where coffee quality has seen major improvement in recent years.

Cup Characteristics: Very sweet smelling, brown sugar, caramel. Tart green apple, stone fruit with black tea tannins add dry finish. Solid body with a lingering clean finish.

Roasting Notes: Bourbon coffees tend to be sturdy and dense, and as such can be roasted to most levels. Our personal preference is to pull at the very start of 2nd Crack; at this level some high notes are present while the chocolate elements of the coffee are well defined.