Burundi Kibingo Natural
A Returning Favorite from Kayanza
A returning favorite has just arrived from Burundi: a bright and fruity naturally processed Red Bourbon from the Kibingo Washing Station in Kayanza, a province in the northern part of the country, bordering Rwanda. This region is only about 50 miles south of Lake Kivu, an area famous for its ideal environment for growing coffee: high altitude, temperate and humid climate, and rich and fertile volcanic soils. These conditions are perfect for coffee to grow and thrive, with high elevations allowing for the coffee cherry to ripen slowly, giving us a complex cup with sweetness and delicate layers of flavor.
The Kibingo Washing Station
The Kibingo Washing Station serves just over 1,700 members producing on small farms in the Kayanza region. Membership to Kibingo offers the farmers not only access to the equipment and resources of the washing station, but also to fertilizer made from the composted coffee pulp, subsidized seedlings from the community's plant nursery, and additional education to promote improved farm yields and income diversification. The station also participates in a number of farmer outreach and support projects, including a livestock rearing project and a range of initiatives centered on strengthening cooperatives and improving yields.
The Coffee: A Naturally Processed Red Bourbon
During the harvest season, the cherry is picked by hand and transported to the washing station, where it is first floated in small buckets and sorted to remove any damaged or underripe cherries. Once sorted, it is moved to the drying tables where it slowly sun-dries over the course of three to four weeks. Once dried, the coffee is transported to the dry mill, where it is processed and sorted again to ensure only the highest quality coffee makes the cut. We've worked with the Kibingo Washing Station for nearly a decade (starting in 2017) and they've consistently produced some incredible coffees that have found their way into our lineup over the years. We're so excited to bring this beautiful natural lot back for the season, with vibrant notes of cherry cola, chocolate, and plum.
Burundi Kibingo Natural
A returning favorite from the Kibingo Washing Station in Kayanza. This is a naturally processed Red Bourbon, with notes of cherry cola, plum, and creamy milk chocolate.