Joe Coffee Burundi Turihamwe Review

By

Bryan Huynh

on April 12, 2024

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With these mainstream coffee places gaining popularity over the years Joe Coffee Company is a New York City-based, family-owned coffee establishment devoted to serving excellent coffee with genuine friendliness. Known as the first café to pour latte art in New York City, Jonathan Rubinstein founded the company in 2003 with the simple goal of brewing high-quality, one-of-a-kind coffees and establishing a friendly environment for the community.

I was lucky enough to try the whole bean version of Burundi Turihamwe offered by Joe Coffee Company. The cup of coffee was sweet and tart, with hints of ripe fruit, citrus, and brown sugar. If you would like to hear my full review on the Joe Coffee Burundi Turihamwe, continue reading below! Check out our Coffee Clubs page to compare and read more reviews of our favorite coffee clubs.

Fun Fact: Joe Coffee was the first café to pour latte art in New York City.

Background

Joe Coffee believes that the secret to a wonderful coffee experience is as much about the quality of the coffee as it is about the expertise of the barista. They have a resolute commitment to quality, flexibility, and sustainable relationships. I absolutely adore how Joe Coffee is so diverse with what they offer. The company works hard to be expressive and unique. Their single origin offerings reflect a relationship with a single producer or organization, and they accentuate the nuance of variety, terroir, and process.

“Together, we can!” As both the chosen name (Turihamwe Turashobora in Kirundi) and rousing call of the all-women producer group behind this excellent coffee from Ngozi, Burundi, the group's community spirit and commitment are easily visible in each subtle, delicate taste.

A group of IWCA members in Burundi's Ngozi area were able to pool finances to build their very own wet mill, which served as both a source of fulfillment and a tool to regulate the quality of their coffee even after processing. The wet mill, known as Gitemezi, is currently in its fourth year of operation and has progressively improved the ability to serve its community, in contrast to the bigger nationalized wet mills that are more widespread in the country.

Summary 

The cup of coffee begins with the honeyed, ripe, stone-fruit sweetness typical of great, pure East African coffees. However, when the cup starts to cool, the hard labor of the women of Turihamwe becomes more apparent: intricate and delicate tastes like melon, orange flower, rosewater, and vanilla unfold and prolong in the aftertaste. If you enjoy the fruity-floral complexity of coffees, you will definitely enjoy Joe Coffee Burundi Turihamwe.

It's no wonder that the group's collective spirit and passion shine through in every complicated, delicate taste. I could definitely taste the early floral and citrus notes morphing into something more than the sum of its parts—juicy peach, berry jam, and grounding grapefruit remind us of the amazing quality possible through the collaboration of this dynamic network of female farmers.

After tasting the whole bean Burundi Turihamwe IWCA from Joe Coffee, I would summarize the cup of coffee as delicious and aromatic, with a superb light-medium roast. In a nutshell, this coffee is a must try!

Origin: Ngozi, Busiga, Burandi

Process: Washed

Variety: Bourbon

Soil: Volcanic Soil

Elevation: 1,750 masl

Roast: Light-Medium

Producer: Turihamwe Women’s Group—IWCA

Tasting Notes: Apple Blossom, Candied Grapefruit, Apricot

Pros

  • Choice of roast level, grind size, and desired brewing method
  • Subscriptions available. (The Daily, The Waverly, Benchmark, Amsterdam, Big City, Half Moon, Nightcap, and Colombia La Familia Guarnizo) 
  • Supporting an all-women producer group
  • Single origin menu rotates seasonally and you can subscribe to a rotating selection of single origin coffees by choosing “Single Origin Selection.”

Cons

  • Can be pricey for single origin coffee.
  • Shipping fees for smaller orders but subscriptions always ship free.

Buying the Product

Joe Coffee is packaged in high-quality bags with crucial information such as tasting comments, roast levels and dates,  processing techniques, producer, and so much more. This specific coffee might be a little pricey for single origin based coffee, costing around $23 for a 12oz bag. Given the quality of the beans and the company's production practices, you are definitely getting your money’s worth. 

You have the option to choose your favorite roast level and grind type, and the highlighted monthly coffees will be freshly roasted to your specifications. Your order is sent every four weeks, and arrives freshly roasted. With the subscriptions, you are able to explore a new coffee in every delivery, receive 15-30% off each bag, manage your coffee queue and frequency, and easily cancel anytime for whatever reason.

This Light-Medium roast coffee compliments the complex fruity acidity of the beans from Burundi. I strongly suggest getting freshly roasted coffee beans so that you can ensure a great tasting brew every time. The roasting age of the coffee beans will affect the taste heavily! Orders are roasted from Sunday to Friday and mailed from Monday to Friday. A great addition to Joe Coffee’s packaging is the roasted dates printed on the back. 

You may not choose this flavor or roast, but for this bag specifically:

Grind Notes: Grind right before brewing

Brew Ratio: 1g ground beans to 16g water

Brew Time: 3-6 minutes

Storage: Seal in this bag or an airtight container. Enjoy within 2 weeks of purchase.

Joe Coffee Burundi Turihamwe- $23.00 (Free UPS Shipping on All U.S. Orders Over $40)

Check out our full review on Joe Coffee!

Results

The first thing that I noticed was the super fruity aroma when I opened the bag. The packaging of this coffee bag was nice, with a resealable tag. I knew this was going to be a fantastic experience the instant I opened it. This light-medium roast is super easy to make and drink, it might become your daily drinker. However, if you are someone who enjoys that darker roast, you might want to find different alternatives.

This cup was delightful and fruity through and through. The aroma and cup characteristics include notes of Apple Blossom, Candied Grapefruit, and Apricot. The complex fruity acidity that reminded me of apricots and grapefruit with a lingering brown sugar sweetness as the aftertaste.

I would give the Joe Coffee Burundi Turihamwe a cupping score of 89/100. In accordance with the Total Score Quality Classification, it would be considered excellent, also known as a specialty coffee.

Cupping Scores

Published by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. The Cupping Form allows you to note the following coffee flavor qualities: Fragrance/Aroma, Flavor, Aftertaste, Acidity, Body, Balance, Uniformity, Clean Cup, Sweetness, Defects, and Overall. These are evaluated on a 16-point scale indicating quality levels in quarter-point increments ranging from 6 to 9. To score your coffee, go through each specific flavor attribute and mark the points based on your own personal appraisal. 

Quality Scale

  • Good: 6-6:75
  • Very good: 7 - 7.75
  • Excellent: 8 - 8.75
  • Outstanding: 9 - 9.75

The Final Score is calculated by adding the individual scores for each of the key criteria in the "Total Score" box. Defects are then subtracted from the “Total Score” to arrive at a “Final Score.” The Scoring Key below has shown to be an effective technique to represent the range of coffee quality for the Final Score.

Bottom Line

Because coffee is a seasonal crop, the coffee offered by Joe Coffee follows the seasons of the growing regions. Coffees from specific areas are only accessible during specific seasons, however they maintain long-standing partnerships with several producers and bring back consumer favorites each year. If you're searching for a coffee to keep you going, they have excellent blends that they create with certain flavor characteristics in mind. Members of their monthly subscription enjoy exclusive coffees, all tailored to your preferred roast level and grind setting!

I highly recommend this coffee if you enjoy light-medium roasts. This should be next on your list. The Joe Coffee Burundi Turihamwe IWCAbrewed a great tasting AND smelling cup of coffee. This light-medium roast develops tasting notes of Apple Blossom, Candied Grapefruit, and Apricot. You can expect this cup of coffee to be bright, sweet, and fruity. As the tasting notes list, you can definitely taste each flavor. If you are not really interested in the Burundi Turihamwe coffee, return to our coffee reviews! I have sampled a lot of coffee, and might even consider myself a coffee addict! Check out these coffee club subscriptions to see if they are more your taste: 

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About the Author

Product Tester & Writer

Bryan Huynh

Product Tester & Writer

Bryan Huynh is a determined Product Tester & Writer. Being a coffee addict, it is only right that he mainly tests and reviews different coffee from around the world and coffee subscription services.

Bryan Huynh is a determined Product Tester & Writer. Being a coffee addict, it is only right that he mainly tests and reviews different coffee from around the world and coffee subscription services.