Gakenke

This coffee is grown at elevations of 1,650–1,950 masl by smallholder producers in Kayanza province, where the majority of Burundi’s coffee is produced. Farmers typically cultivate less than half a hectare of land, growing coffee alongside crops such as bananas, beans, yams, taro, and cassava.

Cherries are selectively handpicked and delivered to Gakenke Washing Station, established in 1991, where the coffee is centrally processed. Through their work with local washing stations, many smallholder farmers gain access to investment, education, and improved infrastructure, supporting both quality and long-term sustainability.

Gakenke hails from Kayanza, one of Burundi's premier coffee-growing regions, where elevation between 1,650–1,950 meters creates conditions favoring the development of nuanced acidity and complexity. Cartwheel Coffee has selected this washed-process lot from Burundi's Kayanza region, a choice that emphasizes the bean's inherent clarity and brightness. Washed coffees tend to highlight a coffee's origin character with pronounced clarity, and Burundian coffees from higher elevations are known for their refined acidity and floral or fruited dimensions. This lot represents an opportunity to explore how careful processing and favorable terroir interact to shape the cup's profile.