For years, Burundi coffee was often dismissed as the forgotten little brother of African specialty coffee. And that’s putting it nicely.
Following the privatization of the nation’s coffee industry in the early 2000s, widespread corruption and poor farming practices plagued Burundi’s reputation, making it nearly impossible for roasters to find the consistent quality they craved.
At Cafe Kreyol, we’d heard this story before, and we rejected this narrative. We knew that with the right traceability and partnership, this origin’s climate could produce some of the most dynamic coffees in the world.
Long Miles for a Worthy Mission
In 2011, Ben and Kristy Carlson moved to Burundi with a vision to transform this broken system. By 2013, they’d launched Long Miles Coffee, a farmer-driven production model designed to bridge the gap between small farmers and specialty roasters.
Long Miles pioneered microlots in a way Burundi had never seen before: separating harvests by specific hills and slopes to treat each area as its own unique terroir and microclimate. To support this, Long Miles employs Coffee Scouts, trained junior agronomists who provide year-round agricultural assistance to the 7,500 smallholding farmers they work with.
By paying higher prices and annual quality premiums, they ensure that coffee is a sustainable future for these families — and they create traceable relationships with their best producers.
Shared Values, Exclusive US Releases
Cafe Kreyol partnered with Long Miles because their mission is our mission. It’s exactly what we’ve been doing at origins from Haiti to Ethiopia for more than a decade.
This year, we are proud to announce that Cafe Kreyol has purchased all of Long Miles’ Kibira microlots. These coffees consistently cup between 85 and 90+ points, are now available in the U.S. exclusively through us.
Our latest container of fresh green microlots has just arrived, showcasing the technical control and artistry Long Miles maintains over post-harvest processing:
• Washed: Expect distinct, sophisticated savory notes.
• Naturals: Super fruit-forward with notes of stone fruits, wine, and strawberry.
• Honeys: These offer a remarkable fatty acid mouthfeel with savory notes of bell pepper, a hallmark of high-quality Burundi coffee.
And now available for sale for an extremely limited time, we’ve roasted our anaerobic natural-process Giku microlot. It delivers an immediate burst of floral aromatics, followed by vibrant orange rind, wildflowers, and soft cocoa, all anchored by a juicy white-grape acidity. As it cools, the cup opens further, revealing deeper florals and a fresh herbal finish.
We’re only producing it in extremely small quantities and only while supplies last. So try this rare expression of modern Burundi specialty coffee now!
Make Your Own Decision
Whether you are a home brewer or a roasting partner looking for fresh green microlots, these coffees represent the next chapter of Burundi’s history.
Be a trendsetter. Forget what industry know-it-alls say you should think about an origin. Taste it for yourself and see.
When you purchase Long Miles coffee through Cafe Kreyol, you are becoming part of a team dedicated to uplifting farmers and producing world-class coffees.
Keep Hunting,
Joseph Stazzone President and Founder, Cafe Kreyol
