Very sweet and bright with notes of blackcurrant, fresh lemon and a juicy aftertaste.
Origin: Burundi
Region: Kayanza
Producer: 3200 producers in collaboration with Masha Washing Station
Elevation: 1672 masl
Variety: Bourbon
Process: Washed
Cherries are depulped the same day they're harvested, and fermented underwater for 12–24 hours before being washed for about two hours. Then the beans are spread on raised beds, where they dry for about 20 days.
Roasted for: Filter
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Masha Washing Station, located in the Kayanza region of Burundi, sources coffee from more than 3,200 local smallholder farmers. Each of these producers owns, on average, just 297 coffee trees across roughly 11 hectares of land. Coffee is their main source of income, and its cultivation is central to daily life in this rural, landlocked country. The harvest typically takes place from April through June, but the journey from cherry to export-ready green coffee is a long one. After initial processing at the Masha station, the coffee is sent to the BUDECA and SIVCA dry mills for final preparation before export.
Interestingly, Masha is not only known for its coffee—it is more famously associated with cattle. The station takes its name from the sub-hill it sits on, which is called Masha, derived from the Kirundi word “amasho,” meaning “herds of cattle.” This area has long been a crossroads for livestock in the region, and even today, around 70% of the local population owns cows. Shepherds greet one another with the phrase “gira amasho,” meaning "owner of cows," a phrase unique to this region. Historically, the abundance of cattle here made it a prized territory, sparking conflicts among regional kings who sought control over the valuable livestock.
Beyond cattle and coffee, the sub-hill of Gihororo—where the station is located—is also known for the imihororo trees, which are used by locals to weave traditional clothing. The region is rich not only in agricultural resources but also in cultural heritage. However, Masha has not been untouched by hardship. In 1997, during a period of political conflict in Burundi, the station's main house and storage facility were burned down by rebels, marking a difficult chapter in its history.
Coffee from Masha, like much of Burundi's production, is typically sold as microlots. Due to the extremely small farm sizes - often between 1/8 to 1/4 hectare—it's rare to find single-farmer or single-varietal lots. Instead, many farmers deliver their cherries to centralized washing stations, such as Masha, where coffees are blended and sorted based on cup quality. This approach to processing and purchasing is common throughout Burundi and much of East Africa. In Kayanza alone, there are 21 such washing stations, including well-known names like Gackowe, Butezi, Gatare, and Kiryama.
Quality at the washing station level depends heavily on leadership and attention to detail. Meticulous cherry sorting, fermentation, washing, and drying are essential to producing high-quality coffee. The typical process in Burundi mirrors Kenya's approach: after depulping, coffee undergoes a dry fermentation for about 12 hours, followed by a soak in mountain spring water for 12 to 14 hours. The beans are then floated to sort by density and soaked once more for 12 to 18 hours before being dried in parchment on raised beds. This careful and consistent processing method helps bring out the complex, clean flavors that Burundi's coffees are celebrated for.
