Ninga

Variety: Bourbon Field Blend

Region: Muramvya, Burundi

Altitude: 1,800-2,000 Meters

Process: Washed

Harvest: June 2024

Notes: Apricot, persimmon, sweet, tart and savory complexity.

Ninga Hill produced a bright lot this year. It's been fascinating to observe, roast and cup the coffees of Long Miles Coffee for several years now. This cup was a standout among so many great lots. Upfront the viscosity is like a red tea with a marmalade tart about it. The cup evolves tremendously in character; hot & sweet into cool & sharp. Some other notes include lemon meringue, baking spice & toffee. A unique and delicious profile.

Ninga Washing Station has its own borehole water source. During the fully washed process, freshly harvested cherries are delivered by coffee farmers to the Washing Station, then floated and hand-sorted for ripeness upon arrival. The cherries are pulped and undergo a single fermentation process. Parchment spends around twelve hours dry fermenting. The parchment is sometimes ‘footed’ after fermentation. A team will agitate and dance on the slippery coffee parchment by foot, helping to loosen any remaining mucilage clinging to it. It is then rinsed in fresh water, graded by density and left to soak for another four to six hours in the final rinse tank. The parchment is carried to covered drying tables where it spends between six and fourty-eight hours pre-drying. During this time, it is hand-picked for under-ripeness, over-ripeness, insect damage and visual defects. It is then moved to traditional African raised tables where it spends between sixteen to twenty days slow drying (depending on the weather) until it reaches the desired 10.5% moisture level.

Long Miles Coffee Project has been a sourcing-partner that brings the potential of the working people to fruition in the Burudian coffee industry. Coffee is a major market for the people of Burundi, the Long Miles Team has arduously helped build a platform for them to show off the natural beauty of their coffee and raise the lid on compensation for specialty work much like this lot from Ninga. It's taken years, red tape, hassles, set backs and determination. We could not be more grateful for their persistence and logistical tenacity.