We are pleased to present to you a truly delightful coffee with a jammy, sweet and rich flavour which reminds us of apricot, vanilla and a hint of citrus.
This coffee comes to us via the hard work of the Migoti Coffee Company, who built their first washing station on the eponymous Migoti mountain. Interestingly, “Migoti” is also the name for a local and indigenous tree. Migoti lies within the Mutambu Commune of the Bujumbura Province.
Migoti washing station is run by a team of 10 permanent local staff, as well as a team of 250 seasonal staff. The station manager, Zephyrin Banzubaze, oversees the management, training and development of coffee farmers, as well as the processing and preparation of coffee for export.
Migoti Hill Lot 21 is a Fully Washed Red Bourbon.
The cherries have been depulped and the seeds and mucilage are allowed to ferment for between 18 and 24 hours, following which this parchment is washed in clean water then left to dry for 2-3 weeks on traditional raised beds. This results in a remarkably rich cup, bursting with flavour and depth.
The company purchases coffee cherries directly from local farmers, who harvest and deliver the coffee to the washing station. The cherry harvest quantities seem to cycle between from low years (c.200 tons) to high years (450+ tons).
Migoti have been driving change to farmer livelihoods by increasing the price paid to the farmers per kilo of cherry – up 97% since 2019. Overall, these harvests produce coffees which score high consistently, and are regarded as some of the best in the country.
The seasonal staff are predominantly women, mainly working on the raised drying tables where they regularly turn the coffee as it dries, and remove defective beans (a vital contribution to the overall quality score). Migoti assists farmers through continual agronomic education which includes: pruning and plant care, intercropping, shade planting, green fertilizers, soils and natural pest control. The expectation is that by following best farming practices the farmers can increase the yields from their coffee trees by five to ten fold.