February 2023 - A Natural from Burundi ...Yup, You Read That Right!

February 2023’s Coffee Origin
Burundi Twaranyuzwe Washing Station
Natural & Sun Dried

A Natural ...From Burundi ...Not Impossible, but Definitely Uncommon!
When we saw this offering in a supplier's inventory we called them to a) see if it was available and b) ask if it was a misprint.
While coffees from Burundi regularly appear on offering lists, a Natural Processed Burundi with a unique flavour profile definitely stands out. This is our first Burundi at Go Cup Yourself, so it is only fitting that it be interesting and a bit hard to come by. While we have Cupped many Burundi's over the years, this is our first Natural Processed selection and we are excited to share it with our Cuppers. 

BURUNDI TWARANYUZWE WASHING STATION NATURAL

Region: Kavumu, Burundi
Varietals: Bourbon
Growing Elevation: 5700+ feet
Harvest: April through July
Process: Natural and Sun Dried on Raised Beds
Flavour Profile and Notes: GO CUP YOURSELF and find out!

This Month's Coffee Selection
Historically, the Belgians introduced arabica coffee plants to Burundi in the 1930's. A comparatively small landlocked country in Africa, Burundi is similar in size to Rwanda. While Burundi's coffee output has been on the decline (a combination of social conditions, aging coffee trees, soil quality issues, and higher profits in other crops), by quantity it is still one of the top 40 coffee producing countries in the world.

Similar to other origins we've discussed, Burundi's coffee is mainly produced by Smallholder Farmers. Each farm has around 250 coffee trees interspersed with food crops and livestock. While several varietals as well as Robusta can be found in Burundi, Bourbon is by far the most common. Most coffee in Burundi is Wet Processed and Washed, making this month's Natural Processed selection truly special.

Founded in 2013, the Twaranyuzwe Coopertive was created by smallholder coffee farmers in Kavumu, Burundi. Twaranyuzwe is translated to "we have understood", referring to the importance of coffee to the economy of Burundi as well as the livelihood of the local farmers.

This month's coffee was sourced from over 900 producers, 490 of which are Coop members.  Farmers travel from the surrounding area to deliver their harvest to the Kuvumu Washing Station. There the cherries are sorted to ensure only ripe cherries make the cut. The best cherries from each lot are pre-dried in the shade where they are sorted again before making it to drying beds in the sun for up to an additional 15 days. 

As you can see, a lot of effort goes into ensuring that only the best cherries make it into this Natural Burundi, but as always we have only one question to ask ...How Does It Taste?

Roaster’s Notes:
Small in stature, large in flavour seems to be a running theme at Go Cup Yourself lately. Similar to our previous two offerings, these African coffee beans are physically smaller than many of the Central American origins we've cupped. While these beans don't expand as much as many of our other offerings, there are very few Quakers (the result of unripe cherries) if any and the roast profiles are amazing. If I had to guess, I'd say this has to do with moisture and the amazingly high altitude that these coffees are grown at. 

On the roasting side, this Burundi roasts closer to a Washed bean than a Naturally Processed. By that I mean the beans don't seem to mind the heat early in the roast. They enter first crack fairly evenly without needing to adjust the heat significantly and they flow into second crack smoothly. For a Natural, these beans don't shed a lot of Chaff (the coffee skin/husk breaks off during roasting) but certainly smell beautiful as they roast. Quiet in first crack, we use our experience and time/temperature knowledge to bring these beans to perfection. 

We went with a light to medium roasted with this Burundi origin to ensure that the flavours created from the Natural Process didn't go to waste. Cupping-wise, look for Orchard Fruits and …wait a minute, if you want cupping notes Go Cup Yourself!


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Once you have finished Cupping, click on the “EXPERT TASTED” tab for our tasting notes. Can’t wait to compare notes.

As always, we'd love to hear from you. Better yet, tell the world what you think. If you've been enjoying the Go Cup Yourself experience, please take a moment to review us on FacebookGoogleYelp, Reddit, a bathroom stall door or anywhere you get your reviews.

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