In My Mug

The Kibingo central washing station is located in the commune of Kayanza in northern Burundi. The station itself lies at 1,893 meters above sea level, and the altitude of the farms in the neighbouring hills that supply the washing station vary from 1,700 to 1,900 meters above sea level. Kibingo services 3,553 registered coffee growers, spread over 18 hills in the area.

The washing station is equipped with 10 fermentation tanks, 2 soaking tanks and a drying field with 165 drying tables and 4 pre-drying tables. Kibingo can process 750,000 kg of cherry per day.

At cherry intake, a picking team sorts the cherries on maturity. This is essential for a fine processing, resulting in fewer damaged beans. The cherry skins are mechanically removed during pulping. Next, the sticky parchment will dry ferment for 12 hours. When fermentation is complete, the parchment goes down the washing and grading channel. Finally, the top quality coffee soaks for an additional 24 hours to remove any remaining mucilage before going to the pre-drying tables. Here, the second team of pickers checks the wet parchment to take out defect beans. After a couple of hours, the parchment is moved to the drying tables. Depending on the weather conditions, it will reach 12% moisture content in about two weeks.

Kibingo CWS has 3,553 registered farmer members, spread over 18 collines or hills in Kayanza province. All producers registered at the washing station are organized in groups of 30 people, headed by a farm leader. This leader acts as a spokesman to facilitate communication and organization with the washing station.

In Burundi, wet mills can reach farmers in a range of 3km. If the washing station is located too far away, producers will sell to middlemen, often at a disadvantage. To prevent this, Kibingo and other washing stations have collection centres - these centres allow them to reach farmers at up to 9 kilometres distance from the wet mill. This is a huge benefit for a producer who then doesn’t have to travel far with a heavy load of cherries. At the same time, shorter distances help to preserve the quality of the coffee too.

At the washing station, farmers can obtain organic fertilizer from reconverted coffee pulp. To promote farm renovation, producers can get low-cost, subsidized coffee seedlings at the washing station. Each station has its own nursery for this purpose.

Kayanza has one of the best coffee growing reputations in Burundi. Coffee farms lie in the highlands, where soils are rich and volcanic. But optimal growing conditions alone aren’t enough to produce a high-quality coffee. To achieve the best coffee, a skilled and dedicated washing station manager is essential. They oversee the implementation of good economic practice and farmer education and collaborate with the producers to ensure they have access to the necessary tools. They also help farmers determine and implement the practices best suited to the specific growing conditions of their plantations.

Next to improving quality and productivity, the company that manage the washing station, Greenco, strives to improve socio-economic and environmental conditions around the washing stations. All of their washing stations have UTZ and 4C certification. One of their focus points is building an efficient supply chain around the CWS. Greenco is buying 93% of its cherries directly from farmers via collection centres. This way, they improve farm-gate price to the producers.

Another socio-economic challenge Greenco addresses is Burundi’s high rate of youth unemployment. The national youth unemployment rate is almost 50%. At Greenco, young graduates receive a decent salary and benefits (house, motorbike, healthcare) as well as real career prospects.

Adding to the training on farming practices, Greenco organises training for farmer groups on various social aspects. Coffee families learn about gender equality, financial planning, family planning, breastfeeding, and many other things too.

On an environmental side, Greenco has equipped all washing stations with water treatment facilities and solar panels and batteries. The solar panels provide energy for computers, lighting and smartphones.

In the cup this is super refreshing and clean, think Gala melon and crisp white grape. It finishes with a hit of cocoa powder and a shoulder of orange zest.

• Country: Burundi

Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5

Total: (max. 100): 87

Roast Information

The name of this coffee producer may sound a little familiar: Bebeto ('Beto' for short) is the son of the legend that is Teodocio Mamani. Teodocio owns Finca Canton Uyunense, which is a farm we have worked with since 2012.

His farm is located in 18 de Mayo, which is a municipality of Caranavi (and part of canton Uyunense). Lots of farms can be called a variation on these names because the land traditionally tends not to have a name.

This year is the fourth year that Bebeto has grown coffee under his own guardianship, and it's the third year that he has processed it himself too. Just like previous years, and as you'd expect from a Mamani, the results are delicious.

Although Bebeto grows Typica, Caturra and Catuai on his farm, this is a lot of only Caturra. Bebeto used a depulper to remove the cherry, then left the coffee to go through a dry fermentation process for 16–18 hours, and then ran it through the scrubber section of the pulper to remove the final remains of the mucilage. Bebeto then transferred the coffee to raised African beds, where it dried in around 7–9 days.

The picking method Bebeto uses is called 'Ayne'. It's the same method his dad uses on Canton Uyunense. This method involves selective picking (not stripping the tree, like their neighbours do), and it demands much more labour and incurs much higher costs. But because of this method, Bebeto gets more coffee he can sell as specialty, and the cup profile is improving year after year.

In the cup I want you to think lime curd. Not tart, but sweet and creamy, and that lime flavour runs though. As it finishes, there's a medley of fruit flavours that creep in: pineapple cubes and raspberry, alongside tropical hints. With all that fruit and cream, there's no surprise this reminds me of trifle! Yum!

• Country: Bolivia

Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5

Total (max. 100): 89

Roast Information

Raul Perez has grown up around coffee, he comes from a fifth generation coffee farming family on his father's side, and a third generation family on his mother's side. Coffee has always been part of his life.

Finca La Soledad has been a Pérez family coffee farm since 1895. The farm is located in Acatenango, near to the Acatenango volcano. It has a great microclimate at an altitude of 1,650 metres above sea level 🌋

The Pérez family have invested heavily in their mill, rebuilding it with the environment in mind. They have a clever system through which they are able to recycle the water they use for processing many times ♻️ Raul and his dad Henio work together on the farm to raise quality standards every day, they have built a cupping and roasting lab on the farm and Raul has been roasting and cupping samples of days' pickings so they can learn at farm level what they can do to improve the cup.

All our lots from La Soledad this year are Dry Fermented Washed coffees - this means that after the cherries have been picked and depulped they are stored in tanks where fermentation by yeast and lactic acid bacteria breaks down the fruit mucilage, so that it falls away from the bean in the centre. This fermentation process isn’t just a practical way of getting to the coffee beans though - it also plays a key part in developing the flavours that make a great coffee something special. It’s a super interesting (and complex!) part of the beans journey from the plant to us and and one which the Perez family are exploring and experimenting with in ways we haven’t seen anywhere else in coffee.

This is Amaton - one of two Catuai microlots (the other is Bella Vistina) we have from the Finca La Soledad this year, each with a subtly different fermentation process, but otherwise very similar.

This lot, called Amaton, has been fermented for 67 hours. Now the typical time for a Dry Fermentation would be 35-40 hours at 20°C to 26°C - so that’s about 30 hours longer than a typical dry fermentation on the farm! If a lot ferments for too long, it usually develops unpleasant flavours (this one doesn’t, it’s super tasty!) - that’s possible because the team at La Soledad have got a clever trick to control the temperature. By running copper pipes around the tank, which carry cold water, they can cool the fermenting beans down. This slows down the rate of fermentation but also changes the kind of flavour compounds the yeast and bacteria produce, allowing it to progress further without developing unpleasant flavours.

That’s all a bit clever, but what matters is how it tastes, right? Well, it really delivers on the sweet and clean flavours from that long slow fermentation.

In the cup expect a milk chocolate coated Malted Milk (moo cow) biscuit! That yummy mix of biscuit sweetness and lingering chocolate flavour is joined by a hint of peach in what is wonderfully balanced and chuggable coffee.

• Country: Guatemala

Clean cup (1–8): 6

Total: (max. 100): 87

Roast Information

We've worked with Ernesto Menendez in El Salvador for many years now and if you've been an In My Mug or Hasbean watcher for a little while you'll have probably heard me talk lovingly more than once about his farm La Ilusion, one of my first coffee loves. But Ernesto has got other farms too - who recognises the names Alaska, Los Andes and Los Brumas? They're great coffees we've been lucky enough to enjoy over the years.

The farms, situated on the Santa Ana volcano, don't just get rave reviews from me and you, they're consistent competition winners. Each of Ernesto’s farms has had success in the Cup of Excellence competition and there are very few producers in the world who can boast the kind of consistent placing into the top ranks of this competition that Ernesto has had with his farms.

On top of this, his coffees have been used by not one but two World Barista Champions in their winning performances - and I was involved in roasting both! First, in 2011, La Ilusion was used by Alejandro Mendez of Viva Espresso in El Salvador. Alejandro rocked Bogota and became the first Barista from a coffee producing country to take home the title. That was followed up in 2017 by a familiar face to In My Mug watchers - our very own Dale Harris bringing home the top spot from South Korea using Las Brumas. So, there’s some pedigree to the coffee you have today.

Ernesto has great farms - but which one are you drinking? Well, the answer is it’s a mix! Ernesto’s Grand Reserve Peaberry is one we haven’t had for quite a while now, but which I’m excited to have back. Each year, the peaberries from Ernesto’s farms are separated out and he cups the lots before making a unique blend from them. It’s a blend of Washed and Natural lots from all the farms - a super unusual idea which comes from Ernesto being a master of micro-lotting - separating his lots and cupping them all.

In the cup you'll get a light maple syrup sweetness. That delicious sweetness stays the focus, but shifts into sponge cake, with a grating of orange peel appearing alongside it.

• Country: El Salvador

Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5

Total: (max. 100): 88

Roasting Information

Finca Alasitas is the biggest farm of Fincas Buena Vista in Caranavi where, every year, a festival is held in honour of Ekeko (iqiqu), the God of abundance. It has everything in miniature but in abundance, just like him!

"Buy me!" said Finca Alasitas... And well, we did! It's all in the name...

Finca Alasitas (which literally translates to "Buy me" in Aymaran) is owned by the Rodriguez family who have been doing some awesome things for coffee in Bolivia. They have their own mills and process and export coffee for farmers all over the Caranavi and Sud Yungas region. The family have been sourcing coffee from small coffee producers for three decades, but unfortunately the steady decline of coffee production in Bolivia has put the sustainability of their export business in jeopardy. Without the efforts of people like the Rodriguez family the future of coffee production in Bolivia is at risk of disappearing completely.

The Rodriguez family prepared the land they bought across 20.6 hectares, where they planted Red Caturra, Java and Geisha. They’ve also introduced a sustainable model for the producers who supply them at their mill, which is built around the three mantras: economical sustainability, social understanding, and environmental awareness - Sol de Mañana.

The family decided that they could make further changes, making things even better, so have taken on the challenge of increasing the production of Bolivian coffee by planting their own new coffee plantations. They are currently also developing woodland on their farm to combat the ongoing issue of deforestation, what superstars!

Finca Las Alasitas is a 20.6 hectare farm that's located at 1,550 metres above sea level in the Bolinda colony of Caranavi, Bolivia. Of those 20 hectares 16 are used to grow coffee.

In the cup this starts on peach squash, sweet but not sharp. It's got a lovely smooth texture which carries it through to finish on a delicate melon note. On top of all that, it's got an aftertaste that makes me think Flumps (that's a delicious British marshmallow treat if you've somehow missed them!)

• Country: Bolivia

Clean cup (1–8): 6

Total: (max. 100): 88

Roasting Information

"Quick Look" Guide

The Kieni wet mill is located in Nyeri in the central highlands of Kenya, at an altitude of 1,700 metres above sea level. It's run by the Mugaga Farmers' Cooperative Society.

Nyeri county has cool temperatures and fertile central highlands; it lies between the eastern base of the Aberdare (Nyandarua) mountain range, which forms part of the eastern end of the Great Rift valley and the western slopes of Mt. Kenya. Nyeri town (county headquarters) acts as a destination for those visiting Aberdare National Park and Mt. Kenya. It is in Nyeri county, at the Treetops hotel, (a rustic treehouse hotel) where the young Elizabeth went upstairs a princess and came down in the morning as Queen of England. Her father, King George VI, died on 5 February 1952, the night she spent at Treetops while on honeymoon.

Most of the coffee beans from Nyeri develop and mature slowly, producing extra hard beans. This quality is also evident in the cup. As a result, Nyeri is traditionally known as the heart of Kenya’s black gold coffee.

The coffee is mainly grown on the slopes and the upper plateau where most of the farmers' homes are located. The farms are demarcated into small family plots where each individual family looks after their own coffee.

The mill has recently installed an electronic weighing system, that not only weighs the farmer's cherries when they deliver them - it also prints out a receipt for them, including a running total of how much they have delivered so far.

Kieni is one of a number of mills owned by the Mugaga Farmers' Cooperative, and currently has around 1,000 members, although this constantly varies and not all members will always deliver their cherry to Kieni.

This coffee is wet processed. It's pulped, fermented (soaked for 8-16 hours (with fresh water at 8 hours) and then fermented for 8 - 16 hours) before being washed and then dried slowly over 2–3 weeks, while the moisture content is reduced to 10–12%. Random interesting fact, the depulper at Kieni can manage up to 5,000kg per hour.

In the cup this is about the acidity. Think a lime and tonic, with a little orange zest on the side. There's a little fruit sweetness to balance it but the finish is still crisp and clean. In the aftertaste you get a little hint of redcurrant, super interesting.

• Country: Kenya

Clean cup: (1–8): 7

Total: (max. 100): 88

Roasting Information

"Quick Look" Guide

In a special edition Roland And Steve go through their top ten coffees of 2018. Sorry for the horse and the length but we had fun doing and editing :) 

The Hasbean festive tradition continues for its thirteenth year, iiiiiiiiit's Chriiiiiiistmaaaaaaaas!

Each and every year since 2006 we've released Christmas blends to celebrate this wonderful time of year, and 2018 is no different. This is our Christmas espresso blend, designed to give you a bostin' 'spro or milky drink when you need it most - power through that prezzie wrapping.

Although the name says espresso blend don't write it off if you're not an espresso drinker, we designed this blend with espresso brewing in mind but because of the way we roast you can throw it at any brew method and get delicious results.

This blend will only be roasted throughout the month of December. Some fella in a red suit (no, not me!) said so, make sure to enjoy it while you can!

• 50% El Salvador Ernesto Peaberry

In the cup... it’s Christmas! Think Christmas pudding - dried fruits and sherry with brown sugar, followed by a gentle hint of sweet spice on the finish. Don’t forget some dark chocolate for afters too!

Roasting Information

Brew Recipe Recommendation

The Hasbean festive tradition continues for its thirteenth year, iiiiiiiiit's Chriiiiiiistmaaaaaaaas!

Each and every year since 2006 we've released Christmas blends to celebrate this wonderful time of year, and 2018 is no different. This is our Christmas filter blend, designed to deliver a delicious cup of festive filter to help keep you going this December.

Although the name says filter blend don't write it off if you're not a filter drinker, we designed this blend with filter brewing in mind but because of the way we roast you can throw it at any brew method and get delicious results. 

This blend will only be roasted throughout the month of December. Some fella in a red suit (no, not me!) said so, make sure to enjoy it while you can!

• 50% Kenya Kieni AA Washed

In the cup it's cloudy lemonade and a dusting of icing sugar, with a delicious hit of satsuma. Zingy, sweet and the taste of Christmas morning!

Roasting Information

An exclusive coffee only sent to In My Mug subscribers on December the 14th, 2018. I like to spoil you lovely lot whenever I can, and this week is 1 of those weeks! Only enough of this coffee to send out to IMM subscribers, you're getting all of it : )

In the cup the first thing that jumps out at me is the texture. It's silky smooth and thick. It's really chocolatey too - think a chocolate bar left in the sun. Although the chocolate is front and centre, there's complexity too, with a little raspberry creeping in to the finish and then a hit of pear on the aftertaste.

• Country: Nicaragua

Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5

Total: (max. 100): 89

Roasting Information

"Quick Look" Guide