Tamarind, Apple, Medjool Date
From Kigeri hill in Burundi's Kayanza Province, this anoxic natural is processed at Izuba Washing Station using sealed fermentation - a technique that coaxes out tamarind, apple and medjool date in layers. There's real depth here, and a lively edge to keep things interesting. If you like your cup to have something to say, this one's fairly forthcoming.
Tangy, fruit-rich and quietly complex
From Kigeri hill in Kayanza Province, this Burundian natural comes out of Izuba Washing Station with a flavour profile that doesn't hold back. The anoxic fermentation process - coffee fermenting in sealed, oxygen-free conditions - draws out real depth and complexity: tamarind's sweet-sour tang, the crunch of fresh apple, the rich jammy sweetness of medjool date. Bright and layered, without tipping into the abrasive.
Red Bourbon grown at 1,500 to 1,700 metres tends to have the structure to carry this kind of processing, and that holds here. There's intensity, but it's balanced rather than overwhelming - the altitude does its job. Redemption's head roaster Dom travels to origin regularly, tasting widely before anything makes it onto the range, and this lot reflects that care.
Whether you pull it as espresso or brew it long, it rewards a little attention. If you're curious about what fermentation can do to a coffee without losing the thread, this is a good place to find out.
About the Roaster
Redemption Roasters was founded in 2016 when Ted and Max were approached by the Ministry of Justice to set up a roastery inside a prison - the idea being to train coffee skills to help reduce reoffending. Eight years on, they run barista academies across four prisons, employ prison leavers at their roastery and shops, and source specialty coffee with the same care and transparency they bring to everything else: direct relationships and honest sourcing.
