This is a dynamic dark roast blend from two coffees that were previously in the Fruity profile as light roasts: Ethiopia Laayyoo and Burundi Campazi. Both coffees are ideal for a dark roast for this Extra Bold profile, as they are very dense and hold up very well to the higher heat and extra time in the roaster. There's 60% of the Burundi and 40% of the Ethiopian coffee making up this profile.

Ethiopia Laayyoo
This coffee was processed at the Raro Nensebo washing station in Uraga, Guji by Sookoo Coffee. Approximately 35 farmers deliver fruit to this washing station, having grown their coffee in nearby Teraga kebele (village), each on farms of around 7 acres.

The farms sit at a stunning elevation of between 2,100 and 2,350 meters (over 7,000 feet) above sea level - some of the highest altitudes that coffee can grow! This lot is primarily comprised of the 74110 and 74112 coffee varieties, which are local varieties selected for their production and disease resistance.

Raro Nensebo washing station is run by Ture Waji, also known as “The King of Guji”, who also founded Sookoo Coffee. Ture has strong connections to the land and community in the Guji region, and employs a ‘woman-first’ policy at the two washing stations he owns, meaning they give priority to hiring women during the harvest.

Between harvests, Ture and his team educate farmers on good agricultural practices, in order to help improve the quality of their cherry.

The strict drying protocols followed by Sookoo Coffee include a having a maximum coffee fruit layer density of 4cm and moving the cherries around on the beds 6 times per day. This reduces the risk of over-fermentation during drying, which would create sour, musky, or funky flavors in the cup. The standard drying time for this lot was between 21-28 days.

Ture's company also provides pre-harvest loans to farmers who need it: for example, to pay for hired labor to do maintenance on the farm, such as weeding and planting, and the company has built a school for the children. Roads have also been built to improve the infrastructure.

Burundi Campazi
This coffee was produced by members of the Burundi Seeds Specialty cooperative in the Kayanza province of Burundi. Specifically, these farmers are from the Campazi commune. Burundi is divided into 18 provinces, 119 communes, and 2,638 collines (hills). The province of Kayanza is known for producing exceptional coffees.

Owned by good friends Juste Picasso Nduwayo, Zephyrin Banzubaze and Jeremi Nakimuhan, the Burundi Seeds Specialty cooperative also owns and manages the UMOCO processing facility, where the 847 producers bring their cherries to be processed. UMOCO means light, which essentially reveals the importance of transparency for the cooperative. The three founders, Juste Picasso, Jeremiah Nakimuhana, Zephyrin Banzubaze collectively work with coffee producing families to develop relationships and spread knowledge about coffee production. Producing coffee is not a business for the BSS members, it is a lifestyle. In some cases, these producers need to diversify income by delivering goods via bicycle such as coal or hosting a taxi service.

The cooperative, Burundi Seeds Specialty, has their own Instagram page! Check them out at @burundiseedsspeciality