Hafi (Burundi)

This jammy, fruit-forward coffee from Burundi boasts many flavors in the cup. Dried cherry presents itself alongside a yogurt-like tartness and mango sweetness akin to a mango lassi.

Hailing from remote hills within the Muyinga Province, the journey to the family farms in this lot takes 6 hours from Bujumbura, the largest city in Burundi. The 20-km (12-mi) trip to the nearest wet mill, on foot through hilly terrain, is too far to justify the same-day processing of cherries typically necessary for washed coffees. Hafi means near in the local language of Kirundi – the farmers chose this name to express their desire for a nearby wet mill in the future. Fortunately, there is now one undergoing construction nearby. 

Despite this challenge around washed processing, they have become proficient at naturally processing all their coffees and have implemented new techniques in recent harvests. As an anaerobically processed lot, the coffee cherries were sealed off for 24-48 hours in wrapped fabric before the remainder of the drying process. Wrapping the cherries in the initial step diminishes their exposure to oxygen and adds extra jamminess and depth to the resulting flavor in the cup. JNP Coffee, the importer of these beans, has worked closely with Burundian coffee farmers for 10+ years. This offering from JNP is a beautiful representation of their continued development of resilient producer partnerships and quality coffees.