Kibingo | Washed | Burundi

Washed Process

Profile: Medium Filter, Light Espresso

Notes: Cloudy apple juice, buttery

Region: Murima Zone, Kayanza

Farm/CWS: Kibingo CWS

Producer: 1,739 Smallholders, working with Greenco

Altitude: 1893m

Variety: Red Bourbon

TLDR: Amazing value for batch brew and filter, zingy sweet espresso for the heads

We've been buying coffees from Kibingo since day dot. Actually before day dot, we were into the coffees before we even started this roasters. The last couple seasons we've bought some funky ones (yeasty bois and anaerobics) but tbh I always missed the washed. So here we are again, it's clean Burundi times, I wonder if this one will taste as plummy as I remember.

Kibingo Washing Station sits at 1,893 m above sea level in the Commune of Kayanza. The surrounding hills rise and fall between 1,700 m and 1,900 m, dotted with small family plots of Red Bourbon. The station serves a community of 1,739 smallholder farmers, typically tending plots of a few hundred arabica alongside subsistence crops. These farmers are grouped into collectives of around thirty, each led by a “group leader” who acts as a link between the growers and the station. It’s a structure that keeps communication clear and ensures that every delivery of cherry is handled with care.

Only fully ripe cherries make it to the tanks. They’re pulped on a Mackinon three-disc pulper that separates the beans by density before a 10–12 hour fermentation in clean mountain water. A small wooden sign at each tank records every detail — date, grade, and fermentation time — while trained agronomists check progress by touch rather than timer.

Once the mucilage loosens, the beans are trampled by foot to complete cleaning — a traditional method that improves clarity in the cup. The parchment is then washed through grading channels that separate seven distinct density grades, ensuring only the best beans move forward. After a final soak, the coffee is laid on raised beds to dry, turned frequently, and covered at night or during rain. Each table carries a traceability tag so that every lot’s journey remains transparent.

 

Greenco

Greenco was founded in 2015 to professionalise and support washing station management across northern Burundi. Working with a network of thirteen central washing stations in Kayanza Province, the company oversees every stage of the process — from farmer training and cherry collection to milling and export — with a focus on quality, traceability and fairer farmer income.

Producers delivering to Greenco stations are organised into small groups led by trained agronomists, who offer guidance on pruning, soil health, and good agricultural practices throughout the year. During harvest, quality control begins the moment cherries arrive. Farmers are paid in two instalments — a first payment soon after delivery, followed by a second once coffees are sold — when lot quality exceeds expectations an additional premium is paid out to that farming group the following year.

Greenco’s approach is practical: better systems, consistent support, and clear communication. By tightening the link between farmers and markets, they’ve helped raise both the standard and reputation of Burundian coffee while building a more sustainable livelihood for the people behind it.