Description
This unique micro-lot comes from Mutana Hill, a hill perched on the edge of the Kibira rainforest in Burundi’s Kayanza Province, at altitudes above 1960 meters above sea level (very high coffee production). Processed at Long Miles Coffee Project’s Heza Washing Station, which is the birthplace of Burundi’s very first honey processed coffees. This lot showcases the silky, layered sweetness that only a carefully executed honey process at extreme altitude can deliver. The slow ripening of cherries in Mutana’s cool, mist-shrouded climate, combined with controlled mucilage drying, produces a cup that sits gracefully between the structural cleanliness of a washed Burundi and the fruity depth of a natural.
Tasting Notes: A wonderfully clean and complex Burundi coffee with a syrupy, honey-like sweetness that intensifies as the cup cools. Expect gentle stone-fruit and red apple notes upfront, soft floral hints (think jasmine and a touch of orange blossom), and a rounded cocoa and brown sugar finish. A hint of lingering herbal/tea spice in the aftertaste. Medium body, moderate acidity, and a lingering sweetness that never turns fermented or boozy. Brighter and more delicate at lighter roasts, where pear and citrus tones come forward; deeper and chocolatier as the roast progresses. An easy-drinking cup that’s nuanced enough to reward careful brewing.
Roasting Notes: Easy to roast and very forgiving across a wide range of roast levels. Honey processed coffees carry more sugar in the bean than washed lots, so watch first crack closely and ease back on the heat during the development phase to keep the sweetness from scorching. A light-to-medium roast highlights the floral and stone-fruit character; a full medium brings out the cocoa and brown-sugar finish. Medium chaff and very even roasting a fun bean to play with.
Long Miles Coffee Project (LMCP) was founded in 2011 by Ben and Kristy Carlson and today works with around 5,700 smallholder farmers spread across 11 different hills. Their model is built on separating and tracing every lot by hill and delivery day, paying high prices for cherry, and supporting farmers through their team of “Coffee Scouts” local agronomists who provide ongoing on-farm training. They operate three washing stations: Bukeye (Muramvya), Heza, and Ninga (Kayanza).
Mutana Hill is one of the highest-altitude catchments feeding the Heza Washing Station, sitting at over 2,100 meters above sea level, right on the edge of the Kibira Burundi’s only indigenous rainforest. The altitude, cool climate, and constant mist cause cherries here to ripen far more slowly than in lower regions, developing more complex sugars and greater bean density.
For this honey lot, cherries are floated and hand-sorted, then depulped while leaving the sticky mucilage intact on the parchment. The parchment is moved to raised African drying beds, where it’s turned frequently by hand until it slowly reaches the desired 10.5% moisture content. Heza was the very station where Long Miles pioneered Burundi’s first honey processed coffees, and this Mutana Gr.2 is a great example of what a well-executed honey process can pull from an exceptional hill.
sandranbob (verified owner) –
One terrific African coffee. Roasted light and found it as described. Several who tried it agree and wanted more.
boochuckles (verified owner) –
Light city roast was incredibly flavorful and smooth. It had a honey sweet chocolate undertone with no winey bitter. People who added sugar noted it needed less. I’m craving more but it’s been unavailable for over a year. If I had only one bean to roast, I would be content with Burundi.