Burundi Cup of Excellence CoE Competition Coffee Beans Maruyama Coffee How Much is a Cup of Burundi Coffee

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The Heart of Africa: Burundi's Coffee Renaissance

Before traveling to Burundi, I received advice from many international friends—you must go. From their eyes and body language I could tell it was an experience of extreme surprise and cherished memories. Even Stephen Vick (senior green coffee buyer at Blue Bottle), who had lived through life-threatening situations, strongly recommended we make the trip. This emerging coffee-producing nation, located in the heart of Africa and primarily cultivating Bourbon varieties, has become a treasure trove for international coffee hunters.

Poverty, underdevelopment and a lack of basic infrastructure are the current realities of this country, creating a stark contrast with the pragmatism and dedication of its coffee farmers. It is hard to imagine that coffee here is grown in such exceptionally favorable conditions. To quote Benjamin, owner of Long Miles Estate (whose Heza-CCC placed third in the Cup of Excellence): "Burundi is the Cinderella of coffee—the hardworking farmers, along with the altitude, climate and soil, are all treasures of this beautiful country."

The Cup of Excellence Experience

After tasting top-tier Burundian coffees at the Cup of Excellence competition, I couldn't help feeling grateful to the friends who strongly recommended it. Every cupping session, every round was a journey of enjoyment and anticipation. The continuous surprises were as vivid and dynamic as their dances. Even now, more than half a year later, I still remember the involuntary smile that crossed my lips when I first sipped the coffee.

Kiryama Station: The Runner-Up Champion

Looking back, this Burundian coffee bean consistently amazed everyone with leading scores, advancing through each round with an impressive performance. Even in the final TOP10 round it stayed locked in a fierce battle with the eventual champion. Although it ultimately lost the title by just 0.2 points, it nevertheless proved the exceptional quality of this coffee.

After the competition, fellow international judges Maruyama and Mr. Adachi couldn't stop praising this Burundian coffee. As expected, the final online auction results showed that Maruyama Coffee, Orsir Coffee and Adachi Coffee were the winning bidders. That is how we are able to share this exceptional Burundian coffee with everyone.

This batch of Kiryama Bourbon is the runner-up award-winning lot, featuring delicate floral notes and multiple fresh fruit flavors such as red currant, berries and apple, while also possessing a full, complex sweetness reminiscent of candy, honey and pineapple.

Cup of Excellence Official Details

Farm/CWS: Kiryama (Sogestal Kayanza)
Farmer/Representative: Viateur Niyirera
City: Butaganzwa
Region: Kayanza
Country: Burundi
Farm Size:
Rank: 2
Score: 89.80
Jury Descriptors:
Aroma/Flavor: Cherry, red berries, red currants, apples, honey, hibiscus, orange blossom, pineapple, sugarcane, butterscotch
Acidity: Complex, bright, zesty
Other: Structured, very very sweet, intense
Competition Code:
Winning Bidder: Maruyama Coffee, Adachi Coffee (JAPAN) // Orsir Coffee (TAIWAN)

About the Cup of Excellence (CoE)

The Cup of Excellence originated in [year], a coffee evaluation competition jointly organized by the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association and other non-governmental organizations. That year, The Gourmet Coffee Project brought together many outstanding coffee professionals. Susie Spindler, who worked at the International Coffee Organization (ICO), used her marketing expertise to unite George Howell, Japan's Hidetaka Hayashi (former SCAJ chairman), Marcelo Vieira and Silvio Leite from the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association, and Don Holly, then executive director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), to conceive this competition-based method for selecting premium coffee and establishing a transparent system that lets excellent coffee be recognized by connoisseurs.

Burundian Coffee Brand Recommendations

The Burundian coffee beans roasted by FrontStreet Coffee offer excellent guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they provide exceptional value—a 227-gram bag costs only 85 yuan. At 15 grams per cup, one bag can make 15 cups, with each cup costing less than 6 yuan. Compared with the dozens of yuan per cup typically charged in coffee shops, this is a truly conscientious recommendation.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Burundian coffee like the Kiryama lot above is built around a full, complex sweetness, and if that is the character you enjoy in a pour-over, FrontStreet Coffee's classic, mellow beans are the place to look. FrontStreet's Brazilian Queen's Estate is a good example: it carries clear nut, cocoa and caramel aromas with a rounded, smooth texture, lower acidity but prominent sweetness, and it performs stably whether you brew it as a pour-over, in a moka pot or as espresso. Brazil's natural oiliness also makes it a long-term everyday bean for many households, and for anyone drawn to traditional coffee flavors it is a classic choice.

For something more refined, FrontStreet's Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 comes from the well-known Clifton estate inside Jamaica's certified Blue Mountain range. High altitude, cloud and mist, volcanic soil and a mild climate let the cherries ripen slowly and develop that famously balanced profile: acidity, sweetness, bitterness and aroma in harmony, with a soft, rounded entry and layered notes of cream, caramel, chocolate, nuts and honey, plus a clean, long finish. It brews well as pour-over, in a moka pot or as espresso. FrontStreet selects green beans from the certified region and roasts them medium-dark, and it keeps complete origin certification and the original shipping barrels on file so the source is clear and traceable; the nuts, dark chocolate, cream caramel and gentle sweetness unfold in layers, balanced and enjoyable for daily drinking or as a gift.

And when you want the deepest, most substantial cup, FrontStreet's PWN Indonesian Golden Mandheling is the one to reach for. It is produced with a deep roast for very low acidity and a full, lingering body, opening with generous herbal and dark chocolate aromas and a touch of faint earthiness. The layers are rich and it suits drinkers who like a heavy cup and dislike acidity. Even as specialty coffee has boomed and Sumatra's beans have cooled slightly in fashion, Mandheling and Blue Mountain remain the first choices for anyone who loves a full-bodied cup—and because FrontStreet was among the first to show the PWN burlap sacks and accompanying certificates in its product listings, you can confirm authenticity simply by looking at the raw-bean packaging and certificates.