BURUNDI • GAKENKE STATION
ORIGIN:
After being unable to find the right Burundi offering last year, we sampled a lot of crops from this year’s harvest and the unparalleled standout was Gakenke! Built in 1991, the station is a hub for the nearly 2,700 smallholder farms that dot Gatare’s rolling hills. On average, farmers own less than half a hectare of land and in addition to growing coffee, they also grow crops like bananas, beans, yams, taro, and cassava.
Due to the small size and yield of the average farm, washing stations are the primary hubs for collection and milling. The infrastructure of Gakenke Station is extensive with 224 drying beds, 2 floatation tanks, 10 fermentation tanks, 2 soaking tanks, and 150 raised beds for drying. It adds up to nearly 750 metric tons processed per season and clearly some of the highest quality cups on all of Kayanza.
This cup truly sparkles! It has a heavy, almost syrupy juiciness but with immaculately clean flavours. It opens with the bergamot spice of earl grey but in a mug generously heaped with brown sugar cubes. The finish is juicy with the bouquet of orange blossom, a dash of spicy nutmeg, and the citrus notes of mandarin orange against a wave of red berries and candy sweetness.
Light-Medium.
Earl Grey Tea, Brown Sugar & Swedish Berries.
REGION:
Gatara, Kayanza.
FARM:
Smallholder Farms.
VARIETAL:
Red Bourbon.
ELEVATION:
1650-1950m.
PROCESS:
Washed.
IMPORTER:
Sally at Crop to Cup.
FOB PRICING:
$11.13 USD per Kilogram.
(This is the price before transport costs including shipping, brokerage, etc.)
YEARS PARTNERED:
This is our first harvest from Gakenke Station.