Lehmus Roastery's new Limited Edition special edition coffee arrives from Burundi, in the middle of Africa.
The name Limited Kinyovu refers to the Kinyovu washing station, where the coffee beans, grown at an altitude of 1800-1900 meters above sea level, arrive. In Burundi, plantations are often so small - an average of half a hectare - that the majority of coffee purchases are made at the washing station in the area, where the coffee berries are processed and dried.
Limited Kinyovu is a pleasantly fresh coffee with citrus lemonade-like flavors and a creamy, full-bodied mouthfeel.
In our Limited Series coffees, we present interesting small batches from different parts of the coffee world. Burundian and Rwandan coffees have long been on the rise, so to speak, and already last year at the London Coffee Festival, several roasters presented coffees from these neighboring countries.
Burundian coffee grows at high altitude
Burundi is a fairly small country. Its area is only 27,000 square kilometers. Burundi would therefore fit into the area of South and North Karelia (total area 28,500 square kilometers).
Burundi, however, has a significantly larger population. While South and North Karelia can accommodate 293,000 people, Burundi has 10.8 million inhabitants.
Both Burundi and the Karelian provinces have a coastline only from the lake. We live by Lake Saimaa, while Burundi lives by Lake Tanganyika. Saimaa is the fourth largest lake in Europe, with an area of 4,400 square kilometers, eight times smaller than Lake Tanganyika.
Both Lake Saimaa and Lake Tanganyika are home to endemic animals that live only in a specific, narrow geographical area. Lake Saimaa is home to the Saimaa ringed seal, while Lake Tanganyika is home to dozens of fish species, several of which are also kept as aquarium fish. Of course, both fish and ringed seals thrive best in freedom: ringed seals in fresh lake water, and Lake Tanganyika fish species in alkaline and hard water.
Coffee has been grown in Burundi for a hundred years
Burundi has been producing coffee for a long time, but the latest wave only began in the first decade of the 21st century, when neighboring Rwanda's success in the coffee world also encouraged Burundians to develop their coffee production after decades of low spirits.
Lehmus Roastery's green coffee supplier Cafe Imports has been working in Burundi since 2006 and has done the hard legwork to get to the wash stations to taste the coffees. After reviewing and tasting over 50 wash stations, Cafe Imports has narrowed down the selection to only the best wash stations, and one of these is the Kinyovu station, from which our Limited Series coffees also arrive.
Limited Kinyovu coffee is a blend of Bourbon, Jackson and Mibirizi Arabica varieties.
The most recent addition to the blend is probably Mibirizi. It is a bean variety introduced to Rwanda in the 1910s that is highly tolerant of heat and drought. It is an excellent quality coffee, typically with a fresh acidity and citrus flavor.
Limited Kinyovu Burundi has a very true overall taste to its beans. Citrus lemonade-like freshness and flavor combine with a creamy mouthfeel. The coffee is roasted to an optimal level, i.e. light rather than dark. This way, the flavors of the coffee come out best and the taste experience is excellent.
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Limited Kinyovu Burundi available from Lehmus Roastery's online store, Satamatie 6 factory store and Helsinki Coffee Festival in April 2019. The price for a 200 gram package is €12.90. (Editor's note: the product is sold out and the link to the product has been removed.) Check out the current Ylähylly selection here !