Stringbean Pete’s tireless quest to discover the finest coffee-producing regions on the planet once again strikes gold on the Dark Continent. This month’s (Extra) Special Reserve roast comes from the tiny African nation of Burundi, and proves amazing coffee can be found in surprising places.
It’s really not that shocking because Burundi borders Tanzania and Rwanda who are both gaining reputations for producing top-shelf beans. Burundi shares the ideal climate, elevation and organic-rich soil of its neighbors, and recent advancements in selection and fermentation processes have greatly increased the quality of the coffee it exports.
The medium roast Stringbean applies to his Burundi Special Reserve creates a clean, elegant flavor profile, punctuated by an intricate, syrupy sweetness of red fruit and berry. The finish is crisp with few lingering after-notes, making for a subtle, sensationally quaffable cup.
Of course, Stringbean Pete has a “Rock and Roll Heart” to match his great taste for coffee so it only figures he’d acquire select-beans from the best people possible.
Stringbean’s Burundi Special Reserve is created with beans produced by the Kalico group which was founded in 2012 by Ms. Angele Ciza. Ciza is an inspiring figure, helping to shape Burundi’s burgeoning, high-end, coffee-growing industry, and establish fresh opportunities for the women of her impoverished homeland. She owns the land she farms, plus the washing stations where her beans are sorted and processed. She employs about 100 women, while helping to pay school fees for the children of her employees. Her unique vision for Burundi’s recovery is strikingly clear. “If you want to develop Burundi,” Ciza suggests, “you develop the women.”
And, if you want to develop a taste for Burundi’s coffee, you’ll try Stringbean’s Burundi Special Reserve, and explore the possibilities of African flavor. It will be available at farmer’s markets, where Pete will have samples, and it can be purchased online.