We’ve already had some great Burundi coffees on our shelves this year, and we’re excited to now add another courtesy of our friends over at Quaffee. This coffee comes from Kigina Hill, a coffee farm found in the province of Bujumbura Rurale, in west Burundi, and was processed at Kinama Washing Station. While Kinama does now have a wet mill, it initially only produced natural coffees, such as this one.

Kinama and Kigina are both part of Migoti Coffee Company, a coffee cooperative that sources some of the best coffees in Burundi and works closely with coffee producers to improve both the quality of their crop and the livelihoods of their communities. Migoti buys directly from farmers and seeks to connect them to coffee buyers and roasters all over the world. The cooperative is committed to accountability throughout the entirety of its production chain. To this end, Migoti exclusively works with microlots, meticulously labelled and separated according to origin to ensure traceability and transparency all the way from farming and production to roasting and consumption.

Great Burundi coffees are known for complex, juicy berry flavours. This coffee promises just those, with notes of juicy summer berries and sweetness brought forward by natural processing.

Phaedon's tasting notes

Well, I'll start by telling you this. This is not like any natural-processed Burundi that I've ever tasted before. In fact, having tasted it without knowing the processing method, I had to double and triple check to confirm it was indeed a natural. Nowhere could I find those heavier or fermented notes that one might expect. Perhaps this is because of the light roast profile employed by my friends at Quaffee, but this coffee was delicate and bright in the cup, a pleasant reminder that one can't judge a coffee by its "spec sheet."

I enjoyed this coffee most in pour-overs of all styles and my siphon, where those bright fruity notes were most prominent. I was reminded of citrus, but you may also find the raspberry notes that the Quaffers identify. There's also a crisp quality to the acidity and maybe a hint of a tea-like note; it's quite complex.  I also detected some honey sweetness.

Quaffee’s notes

• Taste profile: Good complexity medium-full bodied coffee, notes of raspberries and cacao, with a sweet, juicy finish.
• Roast used: We call it kick and straighten roast with a 40 seconds of development time. This lighter roast promotes fruit flavour notes.
• Roast degree: Light
• Quaffee brews:
• Espresso: 1:2.5 (29 sec)
• AeroPress: 17g:200g (2min steep, medium-fine grind)
• Plunger: 48g:800g
• Pour-over/filter: 18g:300g (medium-coarse)

Coffee details from Quaffee

“In 2015, two engineers, Dan and Pontien, embarked on a mission to modernise Burundi’s coffee industry. Founding Migoti Coffee Company, they aimed to link local farmers with global buyers through high-quality processing and transparent supply chains. Leveraging their engineering expertise and deep roots in the community, they sought to drive economic transformation using coffee as a catalyst.

“After overcoming challenges like the civil war’s impact on coffee farming and the isolation of farms from processing facilities, they launched a modern washing station in 2016. This sparked renewed investment in coffee cultivation among local farmers. Beyond coffee, Dan and Pontien are innovating with projects like a small hydropower plant and exploring new crops like essential oil plants, further empowering the community and enhancing sustainability.

“Kigina Hill’s coffee farmers deliver cherries to Migoti’s Kinama Washing Station, which started in 2022. Initially producing only natural coffee, the station expanded in 2023 with a wet mill and other facilities. The 2024 season marks their first washed coffee production. Two microlots from Kigina Hill yielded 2,760 kg of green coffee in 2023, with Lot 55’s distinct flavour keeping it separate.

“Gaspard Nahimana, a leading farmer from Kigina Hill, began his coffee journey in 2015, inspired by a former Burundian President. Farming at 1,730 masl, Gaspard’s 3,800 trees help fund his children’s education, including university fees. Aiming for 5,000 trees, he hopes his children will one day inherit his passion for coffee farming.”

• Producer: Migoti Coffee Company
• Farmers: 92 smallholding farmers of Kigina Hill
• Region: Bujumbura Rurale Province
• Country: Burundi
• Altitude: 1,800 masl
• Processing: Natural
• Species/Variety: Arabica, Red Bourbon
• Packaging: Hessian with Grain Pro inside

Quaffee’s transparency information

• FOB price: pending
• Cupping score: 85 (Quaffee’s)
• Lot size bought: 2 x 60kg bags
• Relationship: Quaffee has been working with Dan Brose, the owner of Migoti since 2019.