Stewed fruit, citrus rind, Dried peach
About This Coffee
Nemba is both a coffee cherry collection and processing site, and the name of the hilltop village where it is located in Kayanza, northern Burundi, near the border with Rwanda. Farmers from the surrounding collines deliver their harvest in whole cherry to the station, where it is carefully graded, processed, and dried with close attention to quality at every stage.
Sitting at 1,813 meters above sea level, with nearby small farms reaching over 2,000 meters, Nemba benefits from cool mountain conditions that support slow cherry development. Most farmers grow older Bourbon varieties, the original coffee cultivar introduced to the region in the 1930s by Catholic monks from Réunion, and the station has built a strong reputation since the early 1990s, earning top honors including 1st place in both Cup of Excellence and Best of Burundi.
Flavor Profile
Cupping notes: Nemba offers a layered, expressive cup with the kind of depth often found in dry process coffees. The roast opens with sweet dried fruit notes, berry-like acidity, and a touch of citrus, followed by darker tones of cocoa, cedar, and warm spice as the cup cools. Its complexity feels both rustic and refined, with a juicy fruit character balanced by a fuller, more substantial finish.
Recommended roast: Light to light-medium. That range should preserve the fruit-forward character, keep the acidity lively, and let the cup stay expressive without pushing too far into heavier cocoa or roasted notes.
Technical Details
- Origin: Burundi
- Region: Kayanza Province
- Altitude: 1813 meters
- Varietal: Bourbon
- Processing: Dry Process (Natural)
- Grade: A1
- Sourcing: Sweet Maria’s