Description
Busasa Coffee Washing Station, established in the Gashoho area in 2014, operates with a dedicated team of 6 full-time members and up to 150 seasonal workers. The station features 151 African drying beds and sources from 1600 farmers in the surrounding hills. Notably, Busasa’s producers receive a 20% premium above the local market rate, while staff enjoys wages nearly 60% higher than the Burundi average. This commitment extends across Matraco’s portfolio, which includes two more washing stations in Northern Burundi. Matraco also supports local farmers by distributing composted coffee pulp as fertilizer and donating seedlings.
Matraco’s coffee journey began with a truck. Founder Zuberi Matsitsi got his start transporting coffee in trailer trucks, eventually amassing a fleet of over 10 trucks. In 2015, Matraco expanded into coffee production. Today, Matraco continues to transport coffee in their own trucks, ensuring close quality oversight in an area where transportation remains something of a challenge.
The meticulous process for washed coffees involves 12-15 hour fermentation, before pulping and overnight storage in ceramic open-air tanks. After washing, the beans are sorted by density and then dried on raised beds for approximately 20 days.
Tasting Notes: A great medium to dark roast semi-exotic daily drinker. Good body and mouthfeel, a bit lower acidity with rich chocolate and spice notes. Lighter roasting will have a noticeable crisp lemony floral edge to it balanced with a nutty/herbal/earthy dark tone. Holds up lighter but needs a longer setup and can risk a little grassy/earthy/vegetal edge, shows a little hint of caramel and is much sweeter than the fuller roasts. We found it best to push the roast into the medium category to build the richer dark tones, muting up some of the classic African brightness: comes off nice and chocolaty with some herbal/spice balance. Dark roasts are strong and semi-sweet with a full body, complimenting roasty and smoky tones. We couldn’t find a roast we didn’t like with these beans, if you roast lighter, just make sure you do not mind a little stronger citric component.
Roasting Notes: An easy coffee to roast, even roasting with medium to low chaff. We would recommend taking it a bit past first crack at a minimum. Right at first crack will not show the best attributes. Can still be a little sharper edged 24 hours after roasting but by day 3 was very smooth and defined.
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