Burundi - Bavyeyi (2025)

This selection comes from JNP Coffee, an inspiring company at the heart of Burundian specialty coffee. JNP is celebrated not just for their coffee quality, but also for their gender-sensitive approach to development. The company was founded in 2012 by Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, who was born in Bujumbura to a family of coffee producers and has now become a respected leader in specialty coffee in the United States.

Bavyeyi means "parents" in Kirundi and is named in honor of the coffee growers like Jeanine's mother who cultivate coffee to pay for their children's education. The group consists of about 600 producers in Ngozi Province, led by and largely composed of women.

Ngozi lies just east of Kayanza (the province in which Gahahe is located). The typical elevations in Ngozi are just slightly lower, with warmer temperatures and a little less rainfall. But like Kayanza, Ngozi is characterized by slightly acidic red soils which are fantastic for coffee production. Plots here are incredibly small at generally half a hectare or less - just enough to generate a little cash income to supplement subsistence farming.

Nearly all of the coffee grown throughout Burundi is red bourbon or a very closely related variety like Jackson or Mibrizi - partly due to the country's relatively recent start in coffee production, and partly an effort by the Burundian government to protect its traditional flavor profiles.

After picking and delivery, this coffee was immediately moved to raised mesh platforms to dry as a natural. This manner of processing, in which intact coffee fruits are dried by the sun, requires weeks of nearly constant attention as the coffee is both raked to encourage uniform drying and hand sorted. Carried out with care, the lengthy fermentation of the drying fruit results in a delicious, full-bodied flavor profile that puts fruit flavors front and center.

This is our second year (in recent history!) working with JNP Coffees and our first year buying coffee from Bavyeyi. We're thrilled with this lot and looking forward to sharing it!