From the highlands of Kayanza in northern Burundi, Nemba brings together coffee grown by smallholder farmers on the hills surrounding the washing station. Farms here climb beyond 2,000 metres and are planted predominantly with older Bourbon varieties, descendants of coffee introduced to Burundi nearly a century ago. For this lot, ripe cherries are carefully sorted before being dried whole on raised beds. The natural process pushes the fruit character forward, while meticulous hand sorting at Nemba keeps the cup remarkably clean and structured for this style of coffee. The result is expressive and layered, with a deep fruit sweetness balanced by bright acidity and a rich cocoa-like finish. We taste dried peach, dark berries and citrus, followed by cocoa, baking spice and a lingering fruit sweetness. Nemba has been producing coffee since the early 1990s and has earned significant recognition within Burundi, including first-place finishes in both Cup of Excellence and Best of Burundi competitions.