Burundi Gakenke Natural
BURUNDI
GAKENKE NATURAL
CHAMOMILE TEA, RED CURRANT, BLACKBERRY + DARK PLUM
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: Gatar, Kayanza, Burundi
PRODUCER: 1,900 farmers from 22 neighboring villages
ELEVATION: 1695 masl
VARIETY: Bourbon
PROCESS: Natural
TASTING NOTES: Chamomile tea, red currant, blackberry, and dark plum.
ROAST TYPE: Light
Farm Level
Location and Landscape
- Situated in Gatara Commune, Kayanza Province, Burundi
- Elevation: 1,695 meters above sea level
- Many surrounding farms have coffee plantations at even higher elevations
Historical and Botanical Context
- Coffee Cultivar: Mostly older Bourbon varieties
- Introduction: Brought by Catholic monks from Reunion in the 1930s
- Name Origin: "Gakenke" refers to a local plant with thin, hollow stems used for drinking traditional banana beer
Processing Facilities
- Drying Capacity: 149 long drying beds
- Processing Types:
- Washed
- Honey
- Dry process
Farmer and Production Details
- Local Farmers: 1,900 farmers from 22 neighboring villages
- Collection Process:
- Auxiliary collection sites managed by local "collectors"
- Collectors pre-grade coffee by separating unripe cherries
- Ensures higher quality before delivery to the mill
Significance
The Gakenke coffee station represents a microcosm of Burundi's rich coffee culture, combining traditional cultivation methods with careful processing to produce high-quality coffee.
General Brewing Instructions
- Filtered water. Spring water is ideal. Removing chloride, sulfur, and iron is essential.
- A burr grinder. The more even the coffee particles, the better the coffee. Burr grinders, whether manual or electric, will do a better job than "whirly-blade" grinders. Invest in a burr grinder. Your taste buds (and coffee roaster) will thank you.
- A scale. I know using a scale can seem a bit like you're doing something you shouldn't be. Trust me, you can only brew consistently great coffee with a scale. Water and coffee are hard to measure without one.
- Clean equipment. Properly cleaning your equipment is the only way to avoid stale and rancid coffee flavors entering your cup. Please keep your equipment clean. The sooner and more often you clean your gear, the easier it will be in the long run. Add it to your ritual and thank us later.
- Delicious and freshly roasted Color Coffee
- Hario V60 02. Check out Scott Rao's video on how to brew a better pourover than your local cafe does.
- French Press. Check out James Hoffman's video on how to brew a next level cup.
- Aeropress. Check out Tim Wendelboe's video on how to brew an exceptionally easy and delicious cup.
Coffee Faq
IS YOUR COFFEE ORGANIC OR FAIR TRADE?
In many cases, yes. However, our first priority is quality and flavor. Sometimes these priorities align and our producers are certified organic and/or fair trade. We always pay well above fair trade rates (which are quite low and don’t guarantee sustainability or quality).
Often times, the producers we work with are too small to gain certifications. It’s expensive and laborious. Many of our producers are certified organic and fair trade, including many of our producers in Peru, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME-FRAME TO DRINK MY COFFEE?
We recommend drinking our coffee within one month of the roast date. Most of our coffees taste best however within 2 - 14 days of roast date.
For espresso, we recommend using coffee that has rested at least 7 days after roast date. This is because coffee gives off CO2 after roasting that can interfere with extraction. One way to get around this is to let your ground espresso dose sit for 30-120 minutes before pulling the shot. Email info@colorroasters.com for more questions about this.
If you are pre-grinding the coffee, we recommend drinking the coffee within one week of grinding.
CAN YOU GRIND MY COFFEE ON WEB ORDERS?
Yes, we can. Please select how you want your coffee to be ground at the time you place your order. Simply click on the arrow beside "Grind" and make your selection. If you need help choosing let us know the brewing method you will be using to prepare the coffee, in the notes of the order. And we will be happy to grind the coffee for you on our commercial grinder.
DO YOU HAVE BREW RECIPES?
These are in the works! We are compiling a bunch and even shooting some video, to help you brew like us at home.
In the meantime...go here: Pour Overs | Aeropress to get some expert advice.
MY COFFEE TASTES WEAK, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?