Introduction to Nzove Washing Station in Burundi - What are the Characteristics of Burundi Coffee?

Burundi Coffee: Geographic and Production Overview

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Burundi's geographical environment is exceptionally suitable for coffee cultivation. The country is mountainous, possessing ideal altitude and climate conditions. There are no coffee plantations within Burundi; Burundi coffee beans are primarily produced by numerous small-scale farmers. In recent years, these small producers have become increasingly organized, mostly gathering around 160 wet processing mills throughout the country. Two-thirds of these wet mills are state-owned, while others are privately operated. Each wet processing mill handles coffee beans from hundreds to up to two thousand producers on average.

Quality Improvement and Processing

Wet processing mills within different production regions also form management integration units known as SOGESTAL (Wet Processing Mill Management Associations). The main function of these associations is to provide better hardware equipment within their regions, which has significantly contributed to the improvement of Burundi coffee quality in recent years. Burundi's finest coffees are processed using the washed method, mostly of Bourbon variety, though other varieties exist. Burundi shares many similarities with its neighbor Rwanda: besides similar altitudes and coffee varieties, both countries are landlocked, which creates obstacles for exporting green coffee beans in optimal condition to consumer countries. Like Rwanda, Burundi coffee is also prone to defect flavors—specifically potato taste.

Traceability and Quality Development

Until recent years, wet processing mills under each SOGESTAL mixed green beans for processing. Many coffees from Burundi could only be traced back to their respective SOGESTAL, indicating their production region.

Starting in 2008, Burundi began transforming toward the specialty coffee industry, leading to the emergence of direct trade and traceable sourcing methods. In 2011, Burundi held the Prestige Cup green coffee quality competition, which served as a preliminary event before the more large-scale Cup of Excellence (COE). Coffee beans from various wet processing mills were stored separately, ranked by quality, and sold at auctions with complete traceability records. This meant that unique, high-quality coffee beans from Burundi would gradually appear on the market, greatly contributing to quality improvement.

The Nzove Coffee Washing Station

In 1992, in Ngozi Province, Burundi, the Nzove Coffee Washing Station was built in the Mwumba community. The station is located in an area with fertile, nutrient-rich soil where local people cultivated and farmed the abundant land without government permission. To address unauthorized land use and attempts to restore order and control in the region, the government decided to build a coffee washing station to bring agricultural order back to the area. The name Nzove originates from "inzovu," the Kirundi word for elephant. Long ago, this land was home to large elephant herds, but unfortunately, many animals that once roamed this country are no longer present.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee recommends brewing with water at 89-90°C. This coffee features premium perfume-like aromatics, with flavors of grape, caramel, cherry, citrus, nectarine, and apple, finishing with green tea notes.

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