Image 1 of 1
-
Sweetness: Satsuma
Acidity: Green Apple
Aftertaste: Black Tea -
Origin: Burundi
Region: Kayanza
Washing Station: Gakenke
Variety: Bourbon
Process: Washed -
PROCESSING
Cherries are delivered daily by hundreds of surrounding smallholder farmers to Gakenke Washing Station, where they are sorted and depulped shortly after harvest. The coffee undergoes underwater fermentation for 12–24 hours before being thoroughly washed and cleaned.
After washing, the parchment coffee is dried slowly on raised African beds for approximately 20 days depending on weather conditions. The careful washed process preserves the coffee’s floral aromatics, crisp acidity, and silky mouthfeel, creating a clean and expressive cup profile.
HISTORY
Gakenke Washing Station was established in 1991 in Burundi’s northern Kayanza province, one of the country’s most respected coffee-growing regions. The station works with more than 2,600 smallholder farmers, many of whom cultivate fewer than 250 coffee trees alongside subsistence crops such as bananas, beans, cassava, and yams.
Because farms in Burundi are extremely small, washing stations play a central role in coffee production, acting as collection points, processing facilities, and quality hubs for entire communities. The high elevations of Kayanza, combined with fertile soils and meticulous washing-station processing, have helped establish Burundi as one of Africa’s most exciting specialty coffee origins.
Gakenke’s washed lots showcase the vibrant acidity, floral character, and refined sweetness that have made coffees from this region increasingly sought after around the world.
