Burundi Nemba Washed Process

Why We Love It

As Wonderstate Coffee grows, we remain steadfast in purchasing coffee from the same trusted partners each harvest. While this approach comes with challenges, it also fosters relationships that span decades and deepen yearly.

In 2025, we celebrate our ninth consecutive year of sourcing coffee from Nemba, and once again, this lot showcases the unwavering dedication to the quality and excellence of the Nemba team. Burundi coffees consistently rank among our favorites, and this year’s crop delivers the flavors we’ve grown to cherish.

In the cup, you’ll find a vibrant brightness that can illuminate even the darkest winter morning. Expect the dense, dark fruitiness of black raspberry paired with the zesty sparkle of Meyer lemon acidity, finishing with a cozy, spiced note of clove.

About the Producer

Year after year, the Nemba Washing Station consistently produces some of the most profoundly dynamic coffees we’ve ever tasted from Burundi. Built in 1991, the station serves approximately 2,600 smallholder farmers from the surrounding communities. With farms averaging just one to three acres, deliveries to Nemba are often small. This requires the station’s team to meticulously sort and create multiple lots based on the flavor and quality of the cherries they receive.

Our relationship with Nemba began nine years ago in an unconventional way. While we were captivated by their coffee from the start, we initially couldn’t purchase it—because we couldn’t pay the farmers enough. Let us explain.

In February 2017, we made a commitment to pay farmers a baseline price for all the coffee we purchase—more than 40% above the organic fair trade guarantee at the time. However, the price for Burundi coffees didn’t meet this threshold, and our exporter didn’t yet have a system to transfer additional funds directly to the producers. Together, we got creative and devised a unique solution: we used the extra funds to purchase goats for the farming communities.

The goats immediately became a valuable resource, diversifying farmer incomes and contributing to greater economic stability. This innovative approach supported our commitment to fair pricing and deepened our connection to the Nemba community.

This year marks seven years of donating goats to the farmers of Nemba, a testament to the enduring partnership and shared pursuit of quality and sustainability that define our relationship.

About the Coffee

In the Americas, coffee farmers typically oversee the entire production process, from cultivation to processing. In East Africa, however, the process is different. Farmers deliver freshly harvested cherries to washing stations like Nemba, where the centralized processing creates coffees with exceptional clarity and intensity—qualities that make Burundi coffee so compelling.

The Nemba Washing Station serves farmers of the Mikuba, Nkonge, and Gitwa communities. Once cherries arrive, they are meticulously sorted for ripeness, ensuring consistently outstanding flavors. The coffee undergoes underwater fermentation for 48 hours, a process that enhances the clarity and brightness unique to the flavor profile. After fermentation, the beans are given a final wash and an overnight soak before being transferred to African drying beds, where they dry for two weeks.

Burundi’s coffee varieties are predominantly Bourbon and Jackson. These varieties provide the structural backbone, velvety texture, and intricate complexity of the cup. When combined with the exceptional growing conditions surrounding Nemba, the result is coffees that taste rare—unlike anything else in the world.