Bourbon Variety - The Coffee Growing Story of Bwayi Washing Station in Burundi's MATONGO Region? Burundi

Bourbon Variety - The Coffee Cultivation Story of Bwayi Washing Station in Burundi's MATONGO Region

The Bwayi Washing Station is located in Matongo town, Kayanza Province, Burundi. An average of 4,000 coffee producers contribute to Bwayi, with 983 producers delivering directly to the station while 3,018 contribute through 10 different collection points. Other crops in the region include bananas, beans, sweet potatoes, cassava, and taro. The town sits in Kayanza, Burundi. Like most washing stations in East Africa, Bwayi processes coffee from a wide circle of small growers with land in the area.

The Bwayi washing station processes coffee from about 4,000 producers in total. Nearly a quarter of them deliver their harvested cherries directly to the station, while the rest deliver through the station's 10 collection points.

Burundi's Coffee Heritage and Challenges

Deep in the heart of Africa lies the small country of Burundi, and within Burundi lies Cafe Imports: since 2006 we have been trekking in a place south of Rwanda, on the southern shores of Lake Tanganyika. Cafe Imports was one of the first companies to see the tremendous potential of specialty coffee here - not just because of its delicate appearance, as complex as Kenya but as versatile as the best Colombians, but also for the economic possibilities specialty coffee offers.

Burundi's coffee has been a logistical challenge from start to finish, even for those of us who have been in this business. This is a particularly poor country, one of the lowest-GDP countries in Africa, and in recent years it has brought new political struggles and turmoil that echo the very difficult periods of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Its landlocked position on the continent is also hard to navigate: instead of selling FOB (Free on Board), as most coffee from Rwanda or the Democratic Republic can be purchased once it reaches port and is loaded into containers, Burundian coffee is traded FOT, or Free on Truck - a riskier arrangement, because it requires incredible long-distance transport from the processing plant to ports across as many as three countries, with travel times of up to a week.

Burundi's Distinctive Coffee Profile

Although Burundi and Rwanda share similarities in varieties, processing, farmer profiles, and history - the two countries are often confused in product tables and in the "stories" of African coffees - they are almost night and day in the cup: Burundi's shimmering acidity and incredible complexity and diversity are absolutely products of the terroir here, a place whose taste is as beautiful and varied as the place itself.

Burundi is a small country at the center of Africa, below Rwanda, between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. Like many surrounding countries, it was once a colony. During that time coffee was mainly exported back to Europe, with local farmers receiving little money or recognition. Unsurprisingly, exploitation left many Burundians disillusioned with their work.

In 1963, Burundi - along with neighboring Rwanda - gained independence from colonial rule. Unfortunately, the new freedom fueled resentment between the country's two ethnic groups. As in neighboring Rwanda, the conflict escalated into full-scale war. The result was decades of constant turmoil and hundreds of thousands of deaths. While the country still struggles with violence, political instability, and overall economic disparity, coffee brings Burundians new hope for the future.

Burundi Coffee Characteristics and Processing

Burundi coffee is sweet, complex, rich, and has excellent mouthfeel. Like the world-renowned neighboring producers Ethiopia and Kenya, the processing methods Burundian farmers use produce some of the best cup profiles in the world. In a typical Burundi coffee it's not unusual to taste various fruit flavors against a backdrop of thick, sweet chocolate notes. The acidity is extremely bright and clean, creating a bright, balanced character in the cup.

The excellent Burundian flavor makes people proud of the work of individual farms. Coffee from Burundi is almost entirely classified as "microlots," because individual farmers can only supervise very small growing areas. Hundreds of farmers therefore deliver their coffee together to cooperatives, which work with local washing stations to sort and process the beans. From there the coffee is bought by importing companies, and the money is distributed among the farmers. Cooperatives let small farmers see their coffee sold, whereas trying to sell it themselves could lead to problems such as coffee going for far below its value, or not selling at all.

With coffee exports still above one-third of Burundi's GDP, there is no slowing the crop's necessity or importance. As quality improves year by year, Burundi continues to stand out as a resource-rich and ultimately brave people who, despite economic and political turmoil, keep producing coffee that surprises professionals around the world.

Coffee Profile and Brewing Recommendations

Flavor Notes

Cherry, plum, red fruits, cocoa, lychee, jasmine, red apple, molasses, vanilla, blackcurrant

Acidity

Juicy, citrusy, bright

Texture

Round, thick, distinctive, raspberry

Variety

Bourbon

Processing

Washed process

Brewing Equipment

Hario V60

Water Temperature

88°C

Grind Size

Sugikazu grind setting 4

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method

Brewing technique: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, using 15g of coffee. First pour 25g of water and let it bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour up to 120g, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total. Extraction time should be around 2:00.

Analysis

The three-stage method clearly distinguishes the front, middle, and back of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing the pour helps extend the extraction time, drawing out the nutty and chocolate flavors from the later stages.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this bright, complex washed-acidity style appeals to you, two FrontStreet Colombian lots are worth trying. FrontStreet Colombia Huila comes from the country's best-known specialty region, planted above 1,500 meters and roasted medium-dark, giving dark chocolate and nutty sweetness with moderate body - ideal as pour-over or French press, and just as good in a moka pot. For something more modern and fruit-driven, FrontStreet La Divisa Sidra is anaerobically sun-dried and medium-light roasted, with passion fruit, grape, apricot and preserved fruit - delicious brewed as pour-over or cold brew, and in a moka pot as well.