Burundi - Busasa

golden kiwi, white peach, sauvignon blanc 

PROCESS: washed

REGION: gashoho, muyinga

VARIETAL: bourbon

ELEVATION: 1600m - 1800m

We are stoked to have this coffee joining our line up this spring/summer. Check it out!

Busasa Coffee Washing Station, established in the Gashoho area in 2014, operates with a dedicated team of 6 full-time members and up to 150 seasonal workers. The station features 151 African drying beds and sources from 1600 farmers in the surrounding hills. Notably, Busasa’s producers receive a 20% premium above the local market rate, while staff enjoys wages nearly 60% higher than the Burundi average. This commitment extends across Matraco’s portfolio, which includes two more washing stations in Northern Burundi. Matraco also supports local farmers by distributing composted coffee pulp as fertilizer and donating seedlings.

Matraco’s coffee journey began with a truck. Founder Zuberi Matsitsi got his start transporting coffee in trailer trucks, eventually amassing a fleet of over 10 trucks. In 2015, Matraco expanded into coffee production. Today, Matraco continues to transport coffee in their own trucks, ensuring close quality oversight in an area where transportation remains something of a challenge. 

The meticulous process for washed coffees involves 12-15 hour fermentation, before pulping and overnight storage in ceramic open-air tanks. After washing, the beans are sorted by density and then dried on raised beds for approximately 20 days.

This washed Bourbon from Gashoho, Muyinga showcases the clean, bright character typical of washed coffees. Grown at 1600–1800 masl in Burundi's Busasa region, the lot expresses delicate stone fruit and citrus notes—qualities often associated with high-altitude African production. Gracenote Coffee identifies golden kiwi, white peach, and sauvignon blanc as the defining aromatics, positioning this coffee within the lighter, more floral end of the sensory spectrum. Bourbon's inherent sweetness and complexity pair naturally with the region's terroir to create a nuanced, tea-like cup.