Burundi
Mutana. Heza Washing Station. Long Miles Project
Bourbon
This specific microlot had only ~1300 lbs available, and with its lemon-lime acidity, sparkly mouthfeel, and sweet full bodied finish, this coffee is a must try from the Long Miles selection, and the epitome of the potential of the Heza wash station.
The Long Miles Coffee Project founders, Ben and Kristy Carlson, moved to Burundi in 2011 and saw that both injustice and poor farming practices permeated the country’s newly privatized coffee industry. They also saw that roasters around the world had a difficult time getting consistently great coffees from Burundi.
In an effort to see positive change in both farmers’ and roasters’ lives, Long Miles Coffee was born. Through creating the Bukeye, Heza, and Ninga washing stations, they have gone from working with just 50 families in 2011, to over 5,500 coffee farming families, on eleven different hills.
Microlots from these washing stations have consistently placed top 10 in the Cup of Excellence, and Long Miles now holds their very own Cup of Excellence "Private Collection" bid. During the peak of harvest, farmers bring their cherries to the station and each person’s contribution is recorded using the Long Miles farmer card system. This system ensures that Long Miles can trace the best quality coffee and the farmers who grow it right down to hill-level.
