Burundi, Ninga Hill Natural

Expect notes of Melon, Blackberry, Gummy Bears

Ninga Hill rises high in Burundi's Kayanza province, beside the Nkokoma River at around 1,900 metres above sea level. The washing station here is the third built by the Long Miles Coffee Project, founded by Ben and Kristy Carlson. Before Ninga existed, farmers had to walk for hours to deliver cherries to the nearest station at Bukeye. Now, with processing closer to home, cherries arrive fresher and the quality of the coffee has followed.

Only ripe Red Bourbon cherries are selected for this natural lot. After hand-sorting and floating to remove defects, the whole cherries are laid out on raised African drying beds and turned regularly over a period of up to thirty days. The slow, careful drying in full cherry builds deep fruit sweetness and a layered, complex cup.

Managed by Epaphras Ndikumana and quality-controlled by Seth Nduwayo, Ninga represents more than a washing station. It stands as a sign of progress for a remote community that once lacked the infrastructure to showcase what its coffee could be. The station also provides clean water to the surrounding area through its own borehole, extending its impact well beyond the harvest.