Pour-Over Brewing Guide for Burundi Heart of Africa: Temperature, Grind Size, and Water Ratio Recommendations with Flavor Profile

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Many people may not have heard of Burundi, but as FrontStreet Coffee acts as a coffee bean seeker, we pay attention to coffee-producing regions worldwide. Even small producing areas can yield high-quality specialty coffee, which is what we're discussing today - Burundi coffee. Most of Burundi's coffee is grown by small farmers using traditional washed processing methods. After de-pulping, coffee cherries are directly placed in water tanks for soaking and cleaning, followed by fermentation, then placed on racks to sun-dry until completion. The processed coffee beans have almost no defects, and the bean size and moisture content are quite uniform.

Geographic Overview

Burundi is located in the southeastern part of Central Africa, south of the equator. It borders Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, with the southwestern border along Lake Tanganyika. The country is dominated by plateaus and mountains, mostly consisting of the eastern side of the East African Rift Valley highlands, with an average national elevation of 1,600 meters, earning it the name "Mountain Country." The capital is Bujumbura. The western lakeside and valley areas, as well as the eastern regions, have a tropical savanna climate, while the central and western parts have a tropical mountain climate. The average annual temperature ranges from 20°C to 24°C, reaching up to 33°C. March to May is the major rainy season, October to December is the minor rainy season, while other months are dry seasons.

Coffee Cultivation History

Burundi began growing coffee in 1930, with varieties similar to neighboring Rwanda, mostly Bourbon series varieties. Coffee grows on high mountains at elevations between 1,750 to 2,000 meters. The first Burundian Arabica coffee trees were introduced by Belgium in the 1930s. Today, over 800,000 Burundian families depend on coffee cultivation for their livelihood. Most belong to small-scale coffee gardens, intercropped with other crops, manually cultivated without mechanized equipment. Coffee tree varieties are mostly Bourbon and Bourbon-related varieties like Jackson and Mibirigy, with both washed and semi-washed processing methods.

Kayanza Region

Burundi's coffee production model is closer to Ethiopia's, with mostly small farmers sending their harvested ripe berries to processing stations for unified processing. The Kayanza town producing area is a cooperative formed by family-like small farmers, consisting of 539 small coffee farmer families, of which 148 are women. On average, each family plants 10-200 coffee trees (at least 1,000 coffee trees can be planted per hectare), showing their meager annual income, typical of impoverished small coffee farmer families.

FrontStreet Coffee Burundi Heart of Africa Washed

Region: Kayanza town
Variety: Bourbon
Altitude: 1,400 to 1,700 meters
Grade: AA Grade
Processing Method: Washed

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameters

Coffee Amount: 15g
Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: BG#6S
Water Temperature: 91°C
Filter: V60 Dripper

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Method

Hand-pour Burundi Heart of Africa. 15g of coffee, medium-fine grind (sugar-sized), V60 dripper, 90°C water temperature. First pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway before continuing the pour. Slowly and evenly pour until reaching 225g total. Finally, gently swirl the dripper to increase extraction. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, extraction time is 2:04.

Flavor Characteristics

Honey, kumquat, violet floral notes, light acidity, smooth mouthfeel, saturated aroma, rich and persistent aftertaste.

Important Notice :

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