Introducing Gahahe

Grown high in the ranges of northern Burundi and washed by the same clean mountain waters that feed the Nile River, Gahahe is a four-time winner of Burundi’s Cup of Excellence.

Founded in 1989, Gahahe has outlasted the country’s decades-long civil war and is now one of the most well equipped wet mills in the country. Almost 1,800 farmers contribute their cherries and producers, overseen by an agronomist, hand sort the ripest ones several times before and during processing. The cherries sun dry with their mucilage intact on raised beds over the course of 21 days. 

Gahahe was roasted by Flight, a roastery founded seven years ago in Wellington, New Zealand by three friends: Richard Corney, Matt Graylee, and Nick Clark are still deeply involved today, with Richard and Matt greenbuying full-time (in with projects in Colombia, Burundi, Rwanda, and Myanmar), and Nick directing the coffee (he won the national barista’s championship in 2013). They are joined by Nic Rapp, the national brewer’s cup champion of 2014 and 2015, who roasts all of Flight’s coffees.

Flight’s resolute commitment to coffee quality and production led to the founding of their own sourcing company, Raw Material. In addition to bringing high scoring, competition grade coffee to roast, through Raw Material, Flight dedicates itself to improving the income equality of all their producers. In a very significant next step, they are now in the process of building their own wet mill and community hub, El Fénix, in Colombia.

Gahahe is an ideal palate cleanser for the spring, with fresh, lively flavors. Its honey processing brings a crisp vibrancy and complex aromas not typically found in coffees from Burundi. As you grind the coffee, you will notice a bouquet of lemon thyme, honeysuckle, and ripe plums, and during brewing, wet aroma notes of orange blossom honey will come through.

In the mouth, Gahahe is light, sparkling, and refreshing, like pear cider. The coffee is fruit forward in both sweetness and acidity, with an intense note of boysenberries and a lasting aftertaste of blackberry nectar. Gahahe becomes sweeter and crisper with each sip.

Using an Aeropress to brew will intensify Gahahe’s flavors, add more body, and bring an almost tannic, deep wine finish to the coffee. If you prefer a pourover method, Gahahe tastes best brewed at a slightly higher strength, so use a ratio close to 1:15, grind finer than usual, and keep the brew time between 3:00 and 4:00.