BURUNDI NGOGOMO | June 2024
Burundi Ngogomo is a warm and complex coffee, with aromatics of malt and freshly baked bread. Medium-bodied with a clean lime acidity, the Ngogomo finishes with a heavy sweetness of caramel and molasses.
Our artwork this month tells the story of how the local industry has changed from fishing to coffee cultivation, where streams which once ran flush with fish now float red coffee cherries, as they’re washed for market.
COFFEE ORIGIN
Country: Burundi
Region: Muyinga
Mill: Ngogomo washing station
Producers: Ngogoma Hill Coffee
Varietals: red bourbon
Process: washed
Altitude: 1,510 – 1,812 masl.
Burundi sits atop the Nile-Congo watershed, with the altitude, rich volcanic soil and freshwater coffee trees need to thrive. The coffee-growing paradise of Ngogomo was once a fishing village, where locals supplemented their kitchen gardens with their catch and sold what was left over.
When the fish stopped being so plentiful one farmer decided to turn to coffee cultivation to keep themselves afloat. This has been a terrific success and coffee now provides an income for small lot farmers all over Muyinga. A processing mill sits on the banks of the stream which once provided their income, and the community comes together on Ngogomo Hill to wash, dry and hull their coffee beans together.
TASTING NOTES & CUPPING PROFILE
Aromas: malt, freshly baked bread
Flavours: apricot, clove
Acidity: lime
Body: medium
Aftertaste: caramel, molasses
Cupping Score: 85 /100.
When we judge coffee, the assessment sheet asks us to consider the elements of: aroma, flavour, body, acidity, and finish. We prepare it by simply pouring hot water onto coarsely ground coffee, and focus on each area one by one, writing down our experience. Burundi Ngogomo gave us so much to note down!
This is a complex coffee, each element contributing unique notes that blend seamlessly. The aroma hints at freshly baked bread and malt, warm and inviting. In the cup, apricot takes the spotlight, the subtle stone fruit sweetness complemented by a touch of spice and bright lime. The finish is reminiscent of caramel and molasses, rich and lingering.
BREW GUIDE
If you’re making an espresso-based coffee, we’ve been working with a 1:2 ratio for the most part, but also had some really interesting notes come through when reining the balance back. Trialling 21g in and 36g out delivered big body and toffeelike sweetness, with lots of spice, which was wonderful in milk coffees.
In a V60 pourover, we went with a 1:16 ratio, pouring for a yield of 288g from 18g of medium coarse grind coffee. First pour 40g, then a second pour to bring it up to 100g, wait and then pour slow and low until the scale reads 288g. Enjoy the sweet apricot and light cinnamon flavours, and the fineness of the lime acidity. Burundi Ngogomo is sweet and clean, perfect for filter.
