Burundi — Burundi Specialty Seeds Campazi Red Bourbon (Natural)

Tastes Like — 🍋 Grapefruit • 🍇 Concord Grape • 🍯 Honey • 🍬 Butterscotch

DETAILS

• Producer: Burundi Specialty Seeds (Picasso, Zephyrin & Jeremiah)
• Station: UMOCO Processing Site, Campazi
• Region: Kayanza Province, Burundi
• Varietal: Red Bourbon
• Process: Natural
• Altitude: 1,850 MASL
• Harvest: September

INTRO

From the high-altitude Kayanza province, this naturally processed Red Bourbon from Burundi Specialty Seeds is a coffee of remarkable balance — fruit-forward enough to satisfy natural lovers, yet clean and structured enough to win over washed coffee drinkers. In the cup: tart grapefruit and Concord grape, layered with honey and a long butterscotch finish.

THE PRODUCER

Burundi Specialty Seeds is led by three close friends — Picasso, Zephyrin, and Jeremiah — who have been building a distinctive specialty production and exporting model in Burundi since around 2013. Rather than following the traditional washing station route, they developed an innovative land lease model, planting over 38,000 coffee trees and establishing their own production site called UMOCO — meaning "Light" in Kirundi — a name chosen to reflect their commitment to transparency with farmers and partners alike.

In addition to their own trees, BSS purchases cherry from smallholder farmers in surrounding communities who have lost access to local stations through recent closures. All coffee is separated by hill, community, and day lot for quality control before processing. Their natural lots undergo a unique 3–5 day yeast development period before drying on raised beds, a step that enhances sweetness and brings clarity to the acidity. Future plans include a dedicated washing station and expanded processing experimentation.

THE PROCESS

The Natural process at UMOCO involves:

🍒 Hand-picking — Selective harvesting of fully ripe cherries only 🔍 Sorting — Damaged and underripe cherries removed before primary fermentation 🧫 Yeast development — A unique 3–5 day yeast development period to enhance sweetness and acidity ☀️ Raised-bed drying — Whole cherries dried in thin layers, regularly turned for even drying until reaching optimal moisture content

The yeast development stage is the defining step here — a carefully controlled pre-drying fermentation that sets this natural apart from conventional sun-dried lots, contributing to its exceptional sweetness and clarity in the cup.

THE CUP

A beautifully crafted natural from one of Burundi's most ambitious and community-focused producers — vibrant, sweet, and approachable, with a depth of character that reflects both the exceptional elevation of Kayanza and the precision of BSS's processing programme.

Flavour Notes

🍋 Grapefruit 🍇 Concord Grape 🍯 Honey 🍬 Butterscotch