Burundi Nemba – Kickapoo Coffee Roasters

I found out about Kickapoo Coffee Roasters a few months ago from an Instagram post I had about organic & environmentally friendly coffee. Looking at not only their coffee options (which included a variety of coffees that fit directly into my preferred coffee profile), but also their mission, I knew I had to try some to feature on the site.

Kickapoo Coffee Roasters prides itself on being farmer focused and is part of Cooperative Coffees. Their coffees are all organic and many are bought significantly above market price given their more direct relationships with the farmers. All this said, the coffee has to taste good and be roasted well for any of this to matter. The good news is—the coffee was delicious. In this review I focus on a naturally processed coffee from Burundi and in the coming weeks I’ll be reviewing a very different, but equally delicious washed coffee from Peru.

The only slightly disappointing thing I found in this coffee was its aroma. Generally with naturally processed coffees, I expect an intense aroma with a lot of complexity. The complexity was there, but the intensity wasn’t as pronounced as I’ve come to expect. That said, that was a minor setback compared to what came next. The bright, fruitiness hit me right as I began to drink it. The coffee had a really nice citrus acidity to it that was well-balanced and not overpowering. Their were a lot of layers to the flavor with different fruit notes coming through. My favorite was probably once it cooled and I tasted even more pronounced notes of blueberry and lime/citrus. By the time it reached room temperature, the flavors were so much more intense than at brewing—which is really as it should be with a well-roasted coffee.

It did well in all of the brew methods I tried (v60, Chemex, espresso), but it shined most in the v60 where the fruit notes could come out most prominently.

The Bottom Line

This was a deliciously complex & fruity coffee that I could drink daily. If you like bright, fruity, African coffees, this is one worth trying.