Burundi - Gahahe

We love this time of year, as the freshest coffees in the world, those most recently harvested in the southern hemisphere, have begun to arrive. First up, a delicious lot from the Gahahe Central Washing Station in Burundi. We visited this station on a trip through Kayanza last June, during the harvest, and were impressed by the people, the organization, and the quality standards present.

Gahahe is bright and fruity, with lots of deep red fruit flavors. Look for a rich array of tropical fruits, a lime-like acidity, and a lovely medium body.

Partners Story

We've partnered with Carmo Coffee for all of our sourcing work in Brazil, from special micro-lots to core components of blends. The people, their farms, their processing, their innovations, and ultimately the quality of coffee they produce, are all unparalleled. In many ways, the history of Carmo Coffee lies in the history of Fazenda Sertão.

Jose Isidro Pereira inherited Sertão in the 1940s, after the passing of his mother. This change of life ended his dentistry practice, but began an incredible tradition of coffee production in the area. Marrying Narareth, the "love of his life" and settling on the farm, the couple would raise four children who (along with their own families) continue as coffee producers and leadership in the Carmo group to this day.

Fazenda Sertão is now a 850 hectare farm, diversified in bananas, corn, soy, and dairy cattle. 330 hectares are dedicated to coffee production, where conditions are ideal. The micro climate enjoys lower relative humidity, limiting winter frosts and fungal growth. The trees are planted on hillside slopes up to 50% grade, and the altitude is quite high for Brazil -- the equivalent of 2000 masl at Central American latitudes.