If you source green coffee from Burundi, you will encounter the FW grading system. Understanding it helps you interpret lot specifications and make informed purchasing decisions.

What FW Means

FW stands for Fully Washed — Burundi's predominant processing method. The process involves depulping, wet fermentation (often double fermentation at stations like Kavugangoma), washing in grading channels, soaking, and extended drying on raised beds.

What the Number Means

The number refers to screen size — the minimum size of the green beans. FW 15+ means all beans passed through screen 15 (approximately 5.95 millimetres) or larger. Larger, denser beans tend to roast more evenly and express more complexity.

The Grade Hierarchy

FW 15+ Premium — Highest tier. Largest, most uniform beans. Specialty grade. Qahwa sources this as the Reserve 15+ lot.

FW 15+ — Standard specialty. Sorted above screen 15.

TT (Screen 14–15) — Lower density. Smoother, rounder, less complex. Qahwa offers this as the Estate TT lot (83+ SCA).

STL and lower — Below specialty threshold. Not sourced by Qahwa.

What Grade Tells the Buyer — And What It Doesn't

Grade is a physical filter, not a flavour guarantee. A high-scoring FW 15+ lot and a mediocre FW 15+ lot can both pass the identical screen — sorting machinery measures bean size, not cup quality. This is why Qahwa publishes both the grade and the cupping score for every lot, rather than letting the grade imply a quality level it cannot guarantee on its own. The grade tells you the physical specification. The cupping report tells you the cup quality. A buyer who relies on grade alone is missing half the picture.

Why Qahwa Specifies FW 15+

Qahwa sources FW 15+ and TT lots from Kavugangoma. The Reserve 15+ (Lot 2610) cupped at 86.5 SCA. The Estate TT cupped at 83+ SCA. Both come from the same cooperative, the same terroir, the same processing discipline — but express differently and serve different commercial applications: Reserve 15+ for single-origin retail and filter programmes that reward complexity, Estate TT for volume espresso programmes that reward consistency.