Burundi Coffee

Sweet, Bright and Full of Sparkling Fruit Character

Burundi is one of the hidden gems of East African coffee. The country is small, the farms are tiny, and everything is done by hand, but the flavor that comes out of those high mountain hillsides is incredible. Think lively sweetness, bright fruit and a clean finish that feels almost sparkling.

A little history

Coffee was introduced to Burundi in the early nineteen hundreds and quickly became a major part of rural life. Most farmers grow just a handful of trees around their homes. These aren’t big estates. They’re family plots passed down through generations.

Over time, washing stations were built so farmers could bring their cherries together for processing. These stations became the backbone of Burundi’s specialty coffee scene and helped the country rise as a producer of beautifully clean and expressive coffees.

How Burundi coffee is processed

Most Burundi coffee is fully washed. Farmers harvest ripe cherries and deliver them to the nearest washing station. The cherries are sorted, pulped, fermented, washed and then dried on raised beds in the sun.

Burundi also uses a double fermentation style similar to some Kenyan processing, which gives the coffees extra clarity and sweetness. Natural processed lots are becoming more common too, bringing deeper fruit character and a rounder body.

What Burundi coffee tastes like

Burundi coffees sit right between the brightness of Kenya and the floral elegance of Ethiopia. They’re vibrant and sweet without feeling sharp and often have a playful fruitiness that stands out.

Common flavors
Red berries
Citrus like orange or mandarin
Brown sugar sweetness
Stone fruit
Floral hints
A bright and juicy finish

These coffees are energetic yet balanced. They’re the kind of cups that make you raise your eyebrows on the first sip.

Where it’s grown

Burundi’s coffee is grown in high elevation regions across the country’s rolling hills. Most farms sit between sixteen hundred and two thousand meters.

Kayanza is one of the most famous regions, producing clean and sweet coffees with bright fruit and lively structure.
Ngozi offers sweet, balanced cups with soft citrus and round body.
Gitega and Muyinga also produce excellent coffees with a mix of fruit, florals and caramel sweetness.

Because most farmers only have a small number of trees, washing stations play a huge role in bringing the coffee together and shaping the flavor.

Why we like Burundi

Burundi coffee brings joy to the cup. It’s bright, sweet and full of life. Whether you brew it as a pour over or a lighter drip roast, it shows off its fruit and sweetness in a way that always feels refreshing.

For First Chair Coffee Roasters, Burundi is one of those origins we look forward to each season. It’s lively without being intense and sweet without being heavy. If you enjoy coffees with berry character, citrus sparkle and a clean finish, Burundi is a perfect place to explore.