Masha

About This Coffee

We are excited to release this season’s first lot from Burundi! This selection comes from the Masha site in Kayanza, near Lake Kivu, a region known for some of the most terroir-specific profiles we encounter in coffee. In the cup we find red tea, baking spice, dried fruit, and citrus. Masha is a coffee cherry collection site in Gatara Commune, Kayanza, in Burundi’s northern province, near the Rwandan border and just below Lake Kivu. Serving as a central hub, the station receives cherry from several thousand smallholder farmers who cultivate coffee on small plots that resemble gardens more than traditional farms. Masha earned first place in Burundi’s Cup of Excellence in 2012, a testament to the exceptional quality produced in this region. Varieties in Burundi are not exactly straightforward. We know that Red Bourbon and Mibirizi are being cultivated; however, we don't know at what relative percentages. Based on the history of production in Burundi there is also most likely some SL34 being grown as well.