Burundi: Honey Process Kibingo

With honey processing, the demucilage machinery can be adjusted to leave more or less fruit on the seed. Honey coffees with a lot of sticky mucilage left intact tend to be the more fruited types, and not to mention, often trade acidity for big body. But If very little mucilage is left on and the coffee is rinsed the following day, you can achieve a cup that is right in line with a fully washed/fermented coffee - clean, crisp, and even bright. And that's what we have here with Kibingo, a clean example of honey process coffee. Kibingo Station is a coffee cherry collection site located in Kayanza, Burundi's northern province that borders neighboring Rwanda. The washing station acts as a central delivery site for a few thousand small holder famers who occupy the 18 hills that surround Kibingo. Kibingo sits at just under 1900 meters above sea level, and many of the farmers have coffee planted much higher than this. Kibingo is named after reeds that are growing in the river running alongside the station site, planted in order to help keep the soil at the banks from eroding. They've been around since the mid 1980s, and last year Kibingo took 1st place at the Burundi Cup of Excellence competition. This Kibingo lot is an example of how honey processing doesn't necessarily translate to a fruit forward coffee. Rather, Kibingo is centered around deep sweetness and delicate accent notes.

This is another beautiful Farm Gate coffee that is good for espresso.

Cupping Notes: toasted sugar, loose-leaf black teas, dried currant, and brilliant lemongrass tea notes

Brew Recommendations: Drip, French Press, pour over, espresso

Farm Gate Coffee: Farmers paid at least 50% above Fair Trade

Varietal: Bourbon

Region: Kayanza Province

Altitude: 1900 meters

Process: Honey processed and sun-dried on raised beds

Equity Pricing (EP) Levels

Sustaining Level: $16 per 12 oz bag (check out subscriptions for deep discounts) | More info below

Uplifting Level: $20 per 12 oz bag (check out subscriptions for deep discounts) | More info below

Benefacting Level: $24 per 12 oz bag (check out subscriptions for deep discounts) | More info below

Sourced from the Kibingo Station in the Kayanza Province, this Burundi: Honey Process Kibingo represents the meticulous work of producers in one of Burundi's most prominent coffee regions. The coffee features the Bourbon varietal, a plant celebrated for its balanced profile and historical significance in East African coffee cultivation. By utilizing a honey processing method, the producers allow a portion of the fruit’s mucilage to remain on the bean during drying, which often influences the final cup’s body and sweetness.

Roasted by Keia & Martyn's Coffee, this lot highlights a complex interplay of toasted sugar and dried currant, balanced by the bright, aromatic qualities of loose-leaf black tea and lemongrass. While individual experiences vary, those exploring these specific nuances may find it helpful to reference a flavor wheel to better identify the subtle transitions between the tea-like clarity and the deeper, sugar-toned notes present in this harvest.