Region: Kyanza, Burundi

Altitude: 18-2100 Meters Above Sea Level

Process: Washed

Harvest: June 2025

Notes: Candied Plum, Citrus & Quince.

It has been a brilliant year for Burundian coffee and Busambo's production is one of our favorites of the season. This is our sweetest Red Bourbon lot selection from Kayanza with a super bright & clean acidity. In the cup we get an array of sunshine with notes of loquat, apple, apricot, pink grapefruit, candied plum, complex sweetness & undertones of dried fruit and cacao. A complex and glossy cup that has a fun dynamic hot to cool. 

Burundi is a small, landlocked nation in East Africa, bordered by Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Lake Tanganyika—the deepest lake in Africa and the second-largest freshwater lake in the world. Spanning nearly 28,000 square kilometers, Burundi is one of the continent’s most densely populated countries, with nearly 13 million people. The vast majority of the population practices subsistence farming, and cash crops like coffee and tea are essential lifelines, providing the income necessary for education, livestock, and household needs. 

Near the Kayanza area is located the Umoco washing station—named after the Kirundi word for “light”— which serves as the central hub for the surrounding hills. Producers typically deliver their cherries on foot, though some utilize bicycles or motorcycles. Coffee here is primarily grown in full sun, often without the use of fertilizers due to their high cost. For subsistence, families also cultivate bananas, maize, cassava, and beans. The coffee undergoes a meticulous processing routine: a 12-hour wet fermentation is followed by a second 12-hour fermentation in cement tanks. The parchment is then dried for 20 to 25 days on traditional African raised beds. 

Bourbon (pronounced burr-bone), is one of the most culturally and genetically important C. Arabica varieties in the world, known for excellent cup quality at the highest altitudes. Bourbon and Typica make up an overwhelming majority of the parentage and lineage we consume in specialty coffee. A tall variety with relatively low cherry production. The Burundian government has made it a legal requirement to only produce the Bourbon variety, though we know there are other varieties mixed in there, the majority of the coffee is in fact Bourbon.

Order by Sunday for next Monday's roast. Shipped on Tuesdays. Our coffees are best after two weeks+ of the roast date.