Burundi, Gakenke

High in the hills of Burundi's Kayanza Province, the Gakenke Washing Station has served as a hub for local smallholder farmers since 1991. Roughly 2,667 producers deliver cherries here — each working an average of just 250 trees on a tenth of a hectare. Coffee shares the land with bananas, beans, yams, taro, and cassava: food for the family alongside the cash crop. Unlike Central and South American origins where landholdings are larger and on-farm processing is common, the average Burundian smallholder doesn't have the space or means for wet- or dry-milling. Washing stations like Gakenke become the critical point of quality — sorting, blending, and processing day lots into the cup-worthy microlots that travel. This lot is a honey-processed selection: cherries pulped with the sticky mucilage left intact, then dried slowly on raised beds. The result is a layered, syrupy cup that reflects Burundi's signature character — winey acidity, deep fruit, and a candy-like sweetness on the finish. Tasting Notes: Amaretto, Dried Grapefruit, Vanilla, Winey Acidity, Candy-like Sweetness Region: Kayanza Province Farm / Mill: Gakenke Washing Station Elevation: 1,650–1,950 MASL Process: Honey Varietal: Bourbon Harvest: March–July