Masenga Hill, Burundi

THE COFFEE.

Taste. 

 Sharp, juicy, green apple smothered in custard. Clean as a whistle as you’d expect with a Burundi. The light florality and fruit tones of peach blossom become more apparent as the coffee cools. Great on batch, even more exceptional as a pour-over.

Washed Processing. 

 Once picked, the coffee cherries are taken to Migoti’s own washing station where they are hand sorted to remove defects. The flesh of the cherries is then removed, a process known as depulping, leaving the coffee beans that are then placed in fermentation tanks for 10-12 hours.  

 After fermentation is complete, the coffee is dried on raised beds until it reaches a moisture content of 10%. It is then milled, graded, and subjected to final quality control before being prepared for export. 

THE PLACE.

Origin. 

 30km from the bustling regional capital of Bujumbura, lie the forested, grassy climbs of the Migoti Mountain region. As is common in Burundi, this lot, the Masenga Hill takes its name from the elevations on which it was farmed.  

THE STORY.

Partnerships.  

 The Masenga Hill is the product of the longstanding partnership between our friends at Omwani and Migoti Coffee Company. We’ve had many exceptional coffees from Migoti over the years and always look forward to their samples landing on our cupping tables.  

 Part of this partnership, has been a fundraising project to build a community reservoir in the Kinama region of Burundi, aimed at providing clean and reliable drinking water to over 4,800 people across five local communities. This initiative, part of Omwani and Migoti’s Producer-Led Projects initiative, is designed to ease the burden on resident, particularly women and children, who often walk long distances to collect water.  

 Once complete, the project will significantly improve access to safe water, helping reduce waterborne illnesses, lower infant mortality, and create more time for education and economic activities.  

 If you would like to support this invaluable project, you can do so by clicking here. 

Early Days.  

 Founded in Mutambu, Burundi, in 2015 by engineers Dan Brose & Pontien Ntunzwenimana, Migoti Coffee Company was established with the aim of economically transforming the coffee communities of the region that had been decimated during Burundi’s civil war. Much of the communities’ stock of coffee trees were destroyed or abandoned during the conflict and poor infrastructure and inaccessible washing stations had led to steep decline in the quality and economic viability of coffee production. 

 From day one, Migoti has worked tirelessly to change these fortunes, constructing two washing stations and partnering with industry experts to provide a plethora of technical expertise to the farmers with whom they collaborate. This includes ongoing education to prune and properly care for coffee trees, intercrop, plant shade trees, utilize green fertilizers, stabilize soils and natural pest control.  

 Migoti purchases the coffee cherries directly from the farmers with whom they collaborate, ensuring the equitability, sustainability and traceability of the supply line. As of 2024, Migoti works with 1,334 farmers and together they have planted 315,333 coffee trees cumulatively. 

 This particular offering was produced by Claver Bangirira Neza, Eugenie Barunsanzakumbuga, Cecile Ngendabanyikwa, Pascal Nduwayo, Amede Nsengiyumva, and Juvenal Murekambanze. 

This Year at Migoti.  

 2024 has undoubtedly been a challenging year for Migoti. Severe fuel shortages in Burundi caused a sharp rise in prices and widespread scarcity, significantly disrupting Migoti's transportation and milling operations. On top of that, unexpectedly heavy rains led to a much lower crop yield than anticipated. As the global climate continues to deteriorate, these freak weather conditions will only increase, placing real pressures on farmers that will only grow in severity in coming years. 

 Despite these setbacks, Migoti has remained committed to maintaining its high standards, working tirelessly to overcome these obstacles and continue delivering quality coffee. 

 This year, Migoti Coffee also became Rainforest Alliance (RFA) certified and European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) compliant. Not only are these clear markers of Migoti’s commitment to sustainable practices, they also serve as an important and effective communication tool when communicating with potential buyers. 

 This does not mean that they have been uncompliant in years previous. Rather, the costs associated with gaining these certifications places them out of reach of many coffee producers who may already comply with or exceed the requirements required by the RFA.