Altitude: 1,774 - 1,800 m above sea level

Country: Burundi, Kayanza - Yandaro

Variety: Red Bourbon

Farm: Yandaro Washing Station

Roastery: Beansmith

Processing: Honey

Cupping score: 85

What is Gourmet Coffee Specialty?

It's a select coffee that we've carefully chosen and Beansmith Roastery has processed for us. There are many definitions, the SCA (Select Coffee Association) specifically states that these are coffees that score at least 80 out of 100 in a professional evaluation, and contain no significant flavor defects. You will also always find 100% transparency (farms, importer, roaster and retailer) with our select coffees.

What's different about our selection coffees?

Don't expect a distinct bitterness in the coffee, as they are roasted lighter than regular coffees. As a rule, you will find more fruity flavours in them. All of our coffees are primarily intended for home brewing like filter coffee, but that doesn't mean they can't be interesting in a mocha pot.

Preparation tip

We don't write down the exact coarseness of the grind, as every grinder has it differently, but you can try grinding to get about what we get below. But it's really one of many different cases. It's just kind of a jumping off point.

Drip 18g (60ml bloom), 250ml total in 2:30min

HONEY method what is it?

The third most common method of coffee processing, combining elements of the natural and washed methods. The skin and some of the pulp is removed from the cherries, with the amount of pulp influencing the type (e.g. white, yellow, red or black honey). The beans are then dried in the sun for approximately 10-20 days and must be turned regularly to ensure that they dry evenly and do not become mouldy. The resulting coffee has a balanced profile between washed and natural - it tends to be sweet, with a subtle acidity and fuller body.

Information

The Farm

Yandaro is located near the border with Rwanda in Kayanza province. The area has ideal conditions for coffee growing due to its location in the corridor between southern Rwanda and northern Burundi. It lies in a valley by the Yandaro River, close to the Kibira rainforest, which helps to maintain moisture and nutrients in the soil. Due to this location, the region has great potential for quality coffee production with a fruity profile and sweet aroma. The processing facilities are used by 2 341 farmers from 22 surrounding hills at an altitude of around 1 800 m above sea level. The climate is mild, with temperatures between 18-25 °C. Yandaro is also involved in projects to support farmers, such as livestock breeding and yield improvement.

Retrieved from

During the harvest, the coffee is hand-picked, with an emphasis on selecting only ripe cherries. Most families have only 200-250 trees, so harvesting is mostly done by household members. Quality control begins as soon as the cherries are delivered. Processing is constantly monitored - peeling, fermentation time, washing, sorting in the channels and final soaking. Once the cherries are received, they are first tested in water (by floating) in order to separate out the lower quality pieces. These are processed separately as lower grade. The better quality cherries are then sorted by hand to remove damaged, unripe or overripe fruit. Within 6 hours of delivery, the cherries are de-skinned and separated by density into higher and lower quality. The coffee and pulp are then dried on African beds for a period of 2-3 weeks. During drying, it is turned and sorted regularly to dry evenly. It is covered overnight or when it rains and carefully monitored for moisture and any defects.

Greenco

Greenco operates in the Kayanza province of Burundi, where it manages 13 processing centres and supports more than 15,000 farming families since 2015. It has long been one of the most successful producers in the Cup of Excellence competition. Farmers are assisted by agronomists who provide training, better cultivation practices and processing organisation. The company also focuses on social issues such as youth employment and farmer education. It also emphasises sustainability, using solar energy, purifying waste water and improving purchasing conditions by buying cherries directly. After drying, the coffee is carefully inspected and sorted, ensuring high quality and full traceability. Processing in the dry mill also provides jobs for thousands of people and supports the local economy.