Some of my favorite coffees come from Burundi. Personally, I feel they fall between Guatemalan (chocolate, cocoa, full bodied) and Ethiopian (bright, complex and floral). If doesn’t matter if I am making a pour-over or espresso.
This coffee comes from Kazoza N’Ikawa, roughly translating to “the future is coffee”. Bourbon is the dominant cultivar in the region (as is the case in most of Burundi), a variety known for syrupy sweetness when grown in high altitudes.
Tasting notes from Sweet Maria’s:
“What a lovely smelling coffee, Kazoza N’Ikawa is perfumed in City and City+ roasts, a demerara-like raw sugar sweetness ,along with a mix of loose leaf teas, and citrus accent notes. The wetted grounds smell oh so sweet as well, with a contrasting hint of cinnamon tea. City roasts brew nicely, delicious spiced sweetness up front, a compound of raw sugar flavors and delicate baking spice accents. We often mention ‘tea’ as a flavor component of coffee, and it’s pretty overt in this one! The initial flavor is like a long-steeped black tea, and it lingers in the aftertaste. A compromise is often made when light roasting, trading out developed sweetness for acidity and complexity. But this isn’t the case with Kazoza N’Ikawa, and the cooling cup has a sweetness like sugar cane juice, that along with accents of rose hips, and allspice, impact aroma and resonate in the long finish. Acidity pops in light roasts too, with lemongrass tea-like vibrance that’s a little tangy, and brisk. Brewing my Full City roast, I was surprised by a dark fruit hint that crops up amidst heavy, dark chocolate roast tones, that flavors that trail in the finish are very bittersweet. Kazoza N’Ikawa is so sweet and complex from as light as City and on up to Full City roast levels, and those patient enough to let cool will be duly rewarded.”