Burundi Gahahe Washing Station

About Burundi Gahahe Washing Station

Arrived early late February 2026, new crop in Grainpro lined bags.

This is routinely one of the top lots coming from Burundi. About 875 smallholders deliver their cherry to Gahahe station. At the station, the quality from their careful cultivation and the ideal environmental conditions is preserved and compounded by exacting processing. Expect an elevated take on the classic Burundi Fully washed profile with black currant, florals and red fruit. The station is equipped with 10 fermentation tanks, 4 cherry selection tables, 2 soaking tanks and a drying field with 180 drying tables, and 18 pre-drying tables. 

The washing station participates in a number of farmer outreach and support projects including a livestock rearing project and a range of projects centered on strengthening cooperatives and improving yields. The farms that contribute cherry to the washing station are small. Each smallholder has only about 250 coffee trees, normally in their backyards. Each tree yields an average of 3 pounds of cherry so the average producer sells about 400 to 600 pounds of cherry annually. That is then greatly reduced after processing, to result in the final coffee beans. So in the end each producer is responsible for 2 to 3 bags of coffee, each 60kg.

Once picked, coffee is rushed to the local washing station for processing. Traditional processing in Burundi involves pulping the coffee and "dry fermenting" it up to twelve hours, at which point it gets washed in clean mountain water for another 12-24 hours. The beans are then soaked for an additional 12-18 hours before being dried in parchment on raised beds. Coffee growing is extremely important to families there as well as to the country at large.

Drying tables at Gahahe Station showing washed coffee on the rear 3 tables

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Washing canals for cleaning and separating defects

The popularity of specialty coffee production has risen in Burundi in recent years, as it earns higher premiums for farmer members of washing stations. Coffee marketing legislation enacted in 2008 allows for direct sales contracts between Burundian producers and international coffee buyers, roasters and importers (exportation and marketing were previously controlled by the government). This legislation also permits the payment of a quality premium to those responsible for producing "specialty" coffee, which follows a similar model in Rwanda where coffee quality has seen major improvement in recent years.

Cherries ready to be processed

• Washing Station: Gahahe
• Province: Kayanza
• Commune: Gahahe
• Altitude: 1805 Meters above sea level
• Farm altitudes: Mainly over 1800 meters
• Farm size: 230 trees on average
• Coffee variety: Red Bourbon
• Processing: Washed, double soaked

Cup Characteristics: Aromas of macadamia, maple and herbs. Flavors of red apple, mild dark chocolate, stone fruit notably nectarine, butterscotch with some background of papaya. A wide range of textual sensations. Very well balanced. The viscosity and mouthfeel improve even further when cool.

Roasting Notes: Bourbon coffees tend to be sturdy and dense, and as such can be roasted to most levels. Our personal preference is to pull at the very start of 2nd Crack; at this level some high notes are present while the chocolate elements of the coffee are well defined.