This coffee from the washing station of Masha, in Kayanza Burundi is an excellent choice for espresso or a bolder filter coffee. It is honey processed and red bourbon variety. The processing leaves the coffee with a remarkable mouthfeel and sweetness. In terms of flavor, you may find hints of apricot, chocolate, and dark sugar.
Masha washing station was built in an area known more for its cattle than its coffee back in 1989. However, the farmers in the area do not rely solely on one source of income but also cultivate various crops, including coffee, to sustain their livelihoods. Behind this coffee are over 2000 smallholder farmers from the area, all bringing their coffee cherries to Masha washing station for processing. On average, these smallholders have only about 250 coffee trees, each producing about 1.5kg of coffee cherries per year, resulting in an annual production of approximately 375kg per farmer.
Because the farmers themselves may not necessarily be coffee cultivation professionals, the functioning washing stations in the area have a significant impact on the quality of the coffee. They impart knowledge to the farmers and perform meticulous work when the coffee cherries arrive at the station for processing. The coffee is inspected and sorted to improve quality, first by floating to separate low-quality cherries. All visibly defective cherries are then removed from the remaining ones, after which the coffee is depulped (the coffee cherry is removed from the bean). In the honey processing method, the coffee is not washed at this stage but is instead transferred directly to dry with the "honey" layer on top of the coffee bean, which is washed off in the "washed" processing method. The coffee dries for about 2-3 weeks, during which any potentially damaged beans are hand-sorted.
