Green Coffee - Long Miles Auction Gitwe Hill - Red Bourbon Washed

tastes like: Honeycrisp Apple, Pu-erh, White Florals

Origin: Gitwe Hill, Butanyerera Province, Burundi

Variety: Red Bourbon

Producer: 478 smallholder coffee producers of Gitwe Hill, in partnership with Long Miles Coffee

Elevation: 1,900–2,100 masl

Process: Washed 

Harvest: 2026 Auction Selection

Sourced From: Group auctioned organized by CETO Coffee direct from Long Miles

about the farm

Gitwe Hill is a coffee-growing community located in Burundi's Butanyerera Province within Matongo Commune, where approximately 478 smallholder producers cultivate Red Bourbon coffee between 1,900 and 2,100 meters above sea level. Farms are typically small, averaging around 85 coffee trees, with coffee serving as an important source of household income alongside crops such as beans, maize, cassava, and tea.

Coffee from Gitwe Hill is delivered to Heza Washing Station, operated by Long Miles Coffee. Situated at approximately 1,960 meters above sea level, Heza is one of Burundi's most remote washing stations, reached by steep mountain roads and footbridges that connect the surrounding farming communities. The station's name, Heza, means "beautiful place" in Kirundi—a fitting description for its panoramic mountain landscape. Long Miles Coffee works closely with producers through agronomy training, soil conservation initiatives, and community development programs that support coffee quality while promoting more resilient farming practices.

about the varietal

Gitwe Hill is planted with Red Bourbon, one of the most widely cultivated Arabica varieties in Burundi and throughout East Africa. Red Bourbon is valued in specialty coffee for its potential to produce expressive acidity, structured sweetness, and excellent clarity when grown at high elevations and carefully processed.

While variety alone does not determine flavor, Burundi's combination of high altitude, favorable growing conditions, and experienced processing has made Red Bourbon the country's benchmark cultivar. In coffees like this one, it provides a consistent foundation that allows the characteristics of origin and processing to be clearly expressed.

processing

Washed: ripe cherries are delivered to Heza Washing Station, where they are sorted, depulped, fermented to remove mucilage, thoroughly washed with clean water, and dried slowly on raised African beds.