Burundi Kawa Zamurabawe Washing Station (E)

This coffee comes to us from the Kawa Zamurabawe Washing Station in the Bururi region of Burundi. Bururi is known for having a drier and cooler climate than the more northern producing regions in Burundi, resulting in a very vibrant acidity and bright sweetness in the coffee.

Loosely translating to “Progress through Coffee,” Kawa Zamurabawe has been operating since 2015 and is part of an association of cooperatives called The Consortium of Coffee Cooperatives, or COCOCA. All producers that bring their cherries to be processed at this washing station live on 1 of 6 hills surrounding the station: Musenyi, Muheki, Karambi, Rubirizi, Nyacambuko, or Kanyinya. Throughout the year, about 801 smallholder farms deliver their cherries to Kawa Zamurabawe. With their coffee growing at approximately 1610masl, these producers are trained to only pick ripe cherries.

After being picked on farms that are typically less than 1 hectare, the cherries are brought to the washing station and are floated upon arrival. This fully washed lot is fermented in water for 12 hours and then dried for 15 days on raised beds before final sorting and export.