This lot is juicy, vibrant and bursting with sweet fruit notes. Vyiza washing station sits in Ngozi Province, Northern Burundi - and it's more than a processing site. It's a community. The name means "good things" in Kirundi, and that's exactly what they're delivering.
Cherries come from around 2,000 smallholder farmers, many working tiny plots of land. This decentralised model runs deep across Burundi and East Africa - coffee farming here is family tradition and community collaboration. That, combined with exceptional terroir, is what makes the region's cup profiles so special.
The coffee is primarily Bourbon. Vyiza specialises in natural processing - cherries are floated to strip out defects, then laid thinly on raised African drying beds for 20-30 days. Slow, open-air drying. Natural fermentation doing its thing. Getting cherries onto the beds within hours of picking is a priority here, and it shows in the cup.
Vyiza is part of the Dushime® programme - built around traceability, farmer empowerment and quality. It's a serious commitment to doing things right.
It's everything a great Burundi should be and more. An absolute juice bomb - expect to be hit with sweet notes of pomegranate and strawberry, with a winey, lingering finish.
