Burundi - Rubirizi Hill Natural [Auction Lot]

Our final lots from the 25/26 Burundian season is a washed/natural pair from Rubirizi hill, which we secured from the LMCP private auction. Rubirizi is in the catchment zone for Bukeye, which is the OG long miles station, and these top lots stood out to us on multiple rounds of sample cuppings.

We really enjoyed the sweetness and tropicality of this lot - there's also a creamy nature to the body, and it's a great example of how post harvest processing impacts the final cup. What a send off to the 25/26 Burundi season!

Brew Guide:

Best Brewed with: Filter

Lightest Roaster Influence: A slightly softer approach than the FW lot - a fraction longer roast, a slightly lower end temp - really allows the delicate nature of this lot to shine.

Best Rested: 4+ weeks

Filter: 64g/L, 94°C water when fresh but go down to 91°C with rest

Espresso: 18g/50g/22-25s, good turbo/soup

We're tasting: Big floral and tropical fruit aromatics - reminding us of lychee jelly; in the cup the aromatic carry through, with freeze dried raspberry, dried papaya and blood orange joining, with a bright acidity and creamy body, and a honeycomb sweetness. As it cools we get milky darjeeling tea and a sweet pastry note reminding us of pain suisse.

Traceability

The Story

Bukeye is Long Miles Coffee Project's founding washing station, built in 2013 at the foot of Gaharo hill, on the border between Muramvya and Kayanza provinces. It was the first station the project established, and remains the site where the Coffee Scout programme, since expanded across the company's other stations, first began. Cherry is received daily during harvest and kept separate by hill of origin throughout processing.

Rubirizi hill lies just east of Gaharo, within Kayanza province, and delivers its cherry to Bukeye for processing. The hill is planted predominantly to Bourbon, although there is likely also Jackson, Mibirizi, and Kent being grown. Its geographic origin, at altitude and within this specific catchment, places it among the group of hills that make up Bukeye's wider producer base.

Farmers on Rubirizi are supported by Long Miles' Coffee Scouts, locally recruited agronomists who work directly with producers throughout the year on pest management, tree health and cherry selection. This ongoing agronomic support sits alongside the daily cherry reception and hill level separation carried out at the station, together underpinning the quality and consistency of what reaches the drying tables.

This is our first year purchasing coffee from Bukeye and from the producers of Rubirizi hill. The lot was sourced through the Long Miles private auction, where day lots of exportable coffee are separated out for quality and sold directly to roasters, returning a higher premium to the station and the producers who deliver to it.