Burundi Nemba from the Slovak roastery Concept Coffee Roasters is a coffee for anyone who enjoys distinctly fruity cups but also appreciates clarity and a pleasant balance. Right from the first sips, juicy pomegranate and sweet-tart black currant emerge, giving the coffee a lively and energetic character. Gradually, a delicate floral note of hibiscus and a deeper tone of bitter cocoa emerge, pleasantly rounding out the entire profile. The result is a complex coffee with intense fruitiness, a pronounced yet refined acidity, and a fuller body. With a cupping score of 87 points, this is a very successful lot that manages to be fresh and juicy without coming across as overly wild or indecipherable. Nemba truly shines when brewed as a pour-over, where its distinctive fruitiness, clarity, and floral aroma are fully revealed.
The coffee comes from the Nemba processing station in the northern Burundian province of Kayanza. The cherries are supplied by 1, 074 small-scale farmers, who have an average of only about 150 coffee trees and handle most of the work during harvest together with their families. The farms are located at higher elevations near the Kibila Forest, where the coffee ripens more slowly and develops greater sweetness and complexity. The Red Bourbon variety is grown here, known for its full, silky body, deeper sweetness, and balanced acidity.
The cherries are hand-picked and undergo an experimental natural processing method with added yeast. LALCAFÉ INTENSO yeast is added to the fermentation tanks containing the whole cherries, which helps control fermentation and reduces the development of undesirable flavors. After approximately 36 hours, the cherries are transferred to elevated drying tables, where they are slowly dried for two to three weeks, regularly turned, and carefully sorted. Thanks to the controlled fermentation, the coffee retains the fuller body typical of natural processing, but does not taste overripe or heavily fermented. If you enjoy fruity coffees with a more pronounced acidity complemented by sweetness and delicate floral notes, you’ll love this Burundi from the very first sip until it’s completely cooled.
- Producer: 1, 074 small-scale farmers
- Altitude: 1,313–1,700 m above sea level