Origin: Burundi

Region: Gihororo, Kayanza.

Producer/Farm: 2,000+ farmers working with Greenco

Altitude: 1672 masl

Varietal: Red Bourbon

Process: Oro Yeast Fully Washed.

Harvest: May-July 2022/2023

Importer: Sucafina

Cupping Score: 85.75

FOB/Volume: £8.80 per Kg / 60 Kilos

Roasted for Espresso/Filter Coffee

We taste: Stonefruits, Caramel and Dark Chocolate.

The Story:

Masha station was built in 1989. Masha station shares its name with the sub-hill upon which it stands. The sub-hill is actually more famous for its cattle than its coffee. The name Masha comes from the Kirundi word “amasho”, meaning “herds of cattle”. The sub-hill has been a crossroad for many herds in the region. Many of the local herders greet each other with a unique phrase only used in this region. They say, “gira amasho”, which means “owner of cows”.  

Many trees in Burundi are Red Bourbon. Because of the increasingly small size of coffee plantings, aging rootstock is a very big issue in Burundi. Many farmers have trees that are over 50 years old, but with small plots to farm, it is difficult to justify taking trees entirely out of production for the 3 to 4 years it will take new plantings to begin to yield. In order to encourage farmers to renovate their plantings, Greenco purchases seeds from the Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi (ISABU), establishes nurseries and sells the seedlings to farmers at or below cost. At the washing station, farmers can also get organic fertilizer derived from composted coffee pulp.

Despite the ubiquity of coffee growing in Burundi, each smallholder producers a relatively small harvest. The average smallholder has approximately 250 trees, normally in their backyards. Each tree yields an average of 1.5 kilos of cherry so the average producer sells about 200-300 kilos of cherry annually.

The majority of farmers who deliver cherry to Masha station are subsistence farmers. Farmers intercrop their trees with food crops and other cash crops to feed and support their families.

During the harvest season, all coffee is selectively handpicked. Most families only have 200 to 250 trees, and harvesting is done almost entirely by the family. 

Quality assurance begins as soon as farmers deliver their cherry. Cherries are wet-processed under constant supervision. All cherry is floated in small buckets as a first step to check quality. Greenco still purchases floaters (damaged, underripe, etc) but immediately separates the two qualities and only markets floaters as B-quality cherry. After floating, the higher quality cherry is sorted again by hand to remove all damaged, underripe and overripe cherries. 

After sorting, cherry is pulped within 6 hours of delivery. During pulping, cherry is separated into high- and low-grade by density on a Mackinon 3-disc pulper outfitted with an additional separation disk.  Once pulped, coffee is placed in Epoxy-coated, concrete fermentation tanks. Oro yeast purchased from the French company Lalcafe is added to the tanks. The tanks are left to ferment in this environment for approximately 36 hours.  

LALCAFÉ ORO™ yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was specially developed for coffee production over a four-year period of research and trials. Trials in various regions and environments showed that Oro is well suited to better control the wet process’ efficiency and to upgrade the cup quality. Oro’s ability to flourish even at low temperatures means it is equally suited for use across most altitudes. The yeast is able to control the fermentation process against the risk of spoilage micro-organisms that can generate undesirable defects. Furthermore, its specific metabolism and its high capacity even at cold temperatures (minimum 15°C inside the coffee tank) allows for the expression of fresh and fruity characteristics of the coffee beans while respecting the flavors of each unique coffee. 

The longer fermentation time for yeast processed coffees (washed processed typically ferments for about 12 hours) also allows for more developed flavors. The extra time enables the beans to absorb metabolites, which can enhance flavors. Complexity, acidity, brightness, floral notes and more are all boosted by the lengthened fermentation time.  

After fermentation is completed, coffee is run through washing and grading canals. In total, the channel separates beans into seven grades according to density. After washing, this parchment is poured onto wooden trays or into nylon bags and carried to the drying tables, each in its separate quality group. Each tray and nylon bag of parchment keeps its traceability tag with all info. 

Parchment dries on raised beds for 2-3 weeks. During drying, parchment is repeatedly sorted and sifted to ensure even drying. Parchment is left to dry from sunrise to sunset and is covered with a sheet during the evening or when it rains. 

Once dry, the parchment coffee is bagged and taken to the warehouse. Greenco’s team of expert cuppers assess every lot (which are separated by station, day and quality) at the lab. The traceability of the station, day and quality is maintained throughout the entire process.