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Burundi Coffee Beans: Exploring Flavor Profiles, Estate Origins, Regional Characteristics, and Specialty Coffee Introduction

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, According to an August 8th report by The EastAfrican, Starbucks has sponsored officials from the Burundi Coffee Management Board to travel abroad for study tours to help Burundi integrate into the global coffee market more quickly. Starbucks executives will also visit Burundi this month to discuss cooperation with relevant parties. Coffee is Burundi's most important export industry for foreign exchange earnings. Starbucks' introduction of Burundi coffee in its chain stores will enhance...

Hand-Pour Burundi Coffee Brewing Guide

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Hand-pour Burundi coffee beans. Use 15g of coffee, medium grind (Fuji ghost tooth blade #4), V60 filter cup, water temperature at 88-89°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second pre-infusion, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before pouring again. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total. Avoid the final tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio is 1:15, with a total extraction time of 2:00.

Coffee Origin Information

Country: Burundi

Elevation: 1750 meters

Region: Rutana Town

Roast Level: Medium roast

Processing Method: Washed

Variety: Bourbon

Processing Station: Nyarunasi Cooperative

Flavor Profile: Licorice, orange citrus acidity, spiced tea mouthfeel

About Burundi

Burundi is located in the eastern 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 Lake Tanganyika forming its southwestern border. The country is characterized by highlands and mountains, mostly consisting of the eastern plateau of the East African Rift Valley. With an average elevation of 1,600 meters nationwide, it is known as the "Mountain Country."

The capital is Bujumbura. The western lakeshore and valleys, as well as the eastern regions, have a tropical savanna climate, while the central and western parts have a tropical highland climate. The average annual temperature ranges from 20-24°C, reaching highs of 33°C. March to May is the major rainy season, October to December is the minor rainy season, and other months are dry seasons.

Burundi boasts one of the world's most diverse and successful coffee industries, with its own unique characteristics. Coffee was introduced to the country in 1930 by Belgian colonists and is now grown only on small farms. Unfortunately, many of these farms are located in border areas with conflict-ridden Rwanda, which puts pressure on coffee production.

Nearly all Burundi coffee beans are Arabica varieties, with coffee trees in the Ngozi region planted at elevations above 1,200 meters. Burundi coffee beans have an intense and aromatic flavor with excellent acidity, with most exports going to the United States, Germany, Finland, and Japan.

The Rutana Town production area consists of a cooperative formed by family-style small coffee farmers, with a total of 539 small coffee farming families, including 148 women. On average, each family grows 10-200 coffee trees (at least 1,000 trees can be planted per hectare), indicating their meager annual income and representing typical impoverished small coffee farming families.

Detailed Coffee Information

Region: Rutana Town

Producer: Nyarunasi Cooperative

Variety: Bourbon

Elevation: 1400-1700 meters

Soil: Volcanic rock soil

Grade: AA Grade

Processing: Washed

Harvest Period: March 2017

Flavor Characteristics: Honey, kumquat, violet floral aroma, bright acidity, smooth mouthfeel, saturated aroma, rich and persistent aftertaste

Purchase Information

Purchase link: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.3-c.w4002-15673140470.9.c68ca3bRdpKxT&id=532974896074

Mobile purchase: Taobao product: FrontStreet Coffee 2017 New Harvest Season Burundi Africa Heart Washed Bourbon Single Origin Specialty Coffee http://b.mashort.cn/S.b5G2xf?sm=75ebda (copy this information, then open the new version of mobile Taobao to directly access this link)

Burundi Coffee Industry Development

According to an August 8th report in "The East African," Starbucks has funded officials from the Burundi Coffee Management Committee to travel abroad for study tours to help Burundi integrate into the global coffee market more quickly. Starbucks executives will also visit Burundi this month to discuss cooperation matters with relevant parties.

Coffee is Burundi's most important export industry for earning foreign exchange. Starbucks introducing Burundi coffee in its chain stores will enhance the global visibility of Burundi coffee. It is estimated that in the coming years, 80% of Burundi's 500,000 coffee growers will see significant increases in income.

In recent years, Starbucks has increasingly focused on the African coffee industry and has begun cooperating with coffee growers from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya. After Burundi Arabica coffee prices were raised, the domestic purchase price of fresh coffee cherries in Burundi increased from the original 120 Burundi francs/kilogram to 200 Burundi francs/kilogram. This is excellent news for a country where coffee export income accounts for over 80% of total foreign trade export earnings. Due to abundant rainfall during the coffee growing season and good field management, coffee production in 2004-2005 increased significantly compared to last year. According to official Burundi estimates, coffee bean production this year could reach 36,000 tons, six times higher than last year (5,600 tons).

The world's largest coffee retailer, Starbucks of the United States, recently announced that it will increase coffee purchases from Burundi. Industry insiders believe that Starbucks's move will help drive Burundi's economic development. The New York Stock Exchange, along with the Burundian government and coffee production, operation, and export enterprises, decided on February 17, 2005, to lower Burundi's coffee pricing index listed on the exchange by 200 points, meaning a price increase of 2 cents per pound (equivalent to an increase of 50 Burundi francs per kilogram). Subsequently, the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange wrote to inform Burundi's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and Burundi Coffee Company about this decision, and invited Burundi's Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Pierre Ndikumagenge, to attend the opening ceremony of the New York Stock Exchange on April 14 to enhance the visibility of Burundi coffee in the international coffee market.