Burundi Kayanza – Shembati Washing Station – Microlot – Blowout – Archived

Taste: Natural sweetness compliments the floral aroma and taste of this bean.  It is less tart than a typical Burundi, with light acidity and a medium mouthfeel.

Roast: Burundi shines at a medium roast, but we like this one best just a bit darker.  You will be rewarded if you let this bean completely finish 1st crack.

About: Shembati Coffee Washing Station was founded in 2017 and serves about 4,000 smallholder producers in the area around Butaganzwa commune in Kayanza. Producers deliver their freshly harvested coffee cherry to the mill, where it undergoes what the washing station describes as “double fermentation,” and the time will vary based on the weather and the space that is available at the mill: First the coffee is depulped, then it is fermented dry for 12 hours. Then it is fermented underwater for 6 or 18 hours, fully washed, and then given a soak underwater for either 12 or 10 hours.

Farmers here own less than half a hectare of land, on average, and in addition to growing coffee, they also grow crops like bananas, beans, yams, taro, and cassava, both for sale and for household use.

Due to the small size and yield on the average coffee farm or plot, washing stations are the primary point of purchase for us in Burundi. Unlike other coffee-growing regions in Central and South America where landholdings are slightly larger and coffee-centric resources are more available, most producers do not have space on their property or the financial means to do their wet- or dry-milling. Instead, the majority of growers deliver cherry to a facility that does sorting, blending, and post-harvest processing of day lots to create different offerings.

*Microlot Coffee Offerings: Farmers are paid quality premiums for any microlot coffee, which reflects the extra planning, effort, labor, and attention to detail required to produce them, as well as rewarding the ultimate job well done.

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