Burundi - Kivuvuma Natural
Burundi - Kivuvuma Natural
Burundi - Kivuvuma Natural
Burundi - Kivuvuma Natural
Burundi - Kivuvuma Natural
Burundi - Kivuvuma Natural
Burundi - Kivuvuma Natural
Burundi - Kivuvuma Natural
Burundi - Kivuvuma Natural
Burundi - Kivuvuma Natural

Burundi - Kivuvuma Natural

50.00 Sale Save

apple, raisins, caramel, butter biscuits

Weight 250 grams
Roast Profile Espresso
Grind Size Whole Beans

Producer: Andrea Fabiani / Diane Nsengiyumva
Farm: Kawasili Washing Station
Location: Kayanza Province
Variety: Mibirizi
Process: Natural
Altitude: 1,700 - 1,800 masl

Fermentation ▪▪▪▫▫
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Andrea Fabiani and Diane Nsengiyumva Fabiani, both agronomic engineers, comprise the husband-and-wife team leading the Kawasili Project, a progressive coffee processing center in Gahombo Commune, Kayanza Province, which is located in Buyenzi, one of the country’s five coffee-growing regions.

The Fabianis established Kawasili as a venue for natural and honey-focused post-harvest processing, intending to explore flavor diversification while contributing to environmental conservation via reduced water consumption and the prevention of potential contamination from washed-processing byproducts.

The Project has enabled the farmers they work with to differentiate and get more value back for their harvests by pivoting away from traditionally known citrusy Burundian flavor profiles towards more intense and syrupy attributes.

Not only do the Fabianis provide the appropriate facilities and expert oversight to facilitate purposeful processing methods that preserve the cherries’ inherent high quality and optimize their flavor potential. They also promote environmental stewardship and nurture their relationship with the farming community by sharing updated agricultural knowledge.

One example is around the use of organic inputs during cultivation, which protects biodiversity and soil health while also allowing for more desirable organoleptic qualities to develop within the cherries.

Growing up and having been educated and built a career in Italy but with roots in Burundi, Diane has always carried a fellow feeling for Burundian farmers and their families.

The Kawasili Project is one way she and Andrea contribute to bringing a sense of ease and stability into their lives, which have so often been subject to periods of upheaval. Another way is through enhancing the community’s financial literacy, with assistance from the humanitarian non-profit organization AVSI, which Andrea is involved in.

Kawasili, situated on a hill called Kivuvuma — among the picturesque, rolling terrains the country is known for — receives cherries from smallholding farmers in neighboring areas. In these parts, coffee trees grow amid ideal agroecological conditions, including elevations between 1700 to 1800 masl and an approximate average rainfall of 1650 mm.

Excepting vulnerability to leaf rust and coffee berry disease, Mibirizi is an otherwise low-maintenance, drought-tolerant variety with the potential for exceptional cup quality, which makes it an important variety for coffee growers in Burundi and neighboring Rwanda, where it is commonly cultivated.

It is reported to have been introduced to East Africa from Guatemala by way of Rwanda, and is noted to have descended from Typica and then eventually mixed with plants of Bourbon lineage that were first introduced from Kenya.

The natural process directed the coffee’s flavor character toward buttery caramels complemented by mild acidity, in contrast with the more common sweet yet bright quality of traditional washed Burundian Mibirizi.

brewing guide

- Ready your brewing tools ahead.
- Keep your coffee gear and containers clean.
- Decide and adjust your grind size based on:
— Your coffee’s roast date
— Your brewing method
- Be consistent with water quality and measuring weight, ratios, and time.
- Remember!
— Let your palate help you personalize the best recipe for you.
— Brew often and have fun!

More about Brewing here.

FOR ESPRESSO:

  • DOSE: 18 to 20 grams 
  • YIELD: 32 to 36 grams 
  • TIME: 22 to 26 seconds
  • RATIO: 1:1.8 - 1:2
  • TEMPERATURE: 90°C - 93°C

MILK RATIO SWEET SPOT:

DOSE

  • 90ml cup: 18-20 grams
  • 120ml cup: 18-20 grams
  • 150-180ml cup: 18-20 grams
  • 210-240ml cup: 18-20 grams

YIELD

  • 90ml cup: 40 mL (split shot)
  • 120ml cup: 20-24mL
  • 150-180ml cup: 22-28mL
  • 210-240ml cup: 30-32mL

TEMPERATURE: 90°C - 93°C

To get a well-extracted espresso—

- Align your brewing variables

- Adjust according to specifics of your situation, like your —

— Espresso machine settings

— Portafilter basket size

— Grinder

— Puck prep style

More here for tips to dial in on point spros.