RAISE A CUP OF JUBILANT 

Jubilant Blend celebrates two Black female pioneers who have broken both gender and racial barriers in coffee importing: Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian of JNP Coffee and Phyllis Johnson of BD Imports. Peet’s first launched this limited release medium roast in 2022 in honor of Black History Month. We’re likewise honored to have been selected by these two forward-thinking, Black female coffee pioneers who reached out to us to develop this one-of-a-kind blend.

In 2012, Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian founded JNP Coffee. Through her work she encourages transformational change for Burundi coffee farmers by promoting gender equality, supporting financial literacy education, and developing leadership skills to empower the farmers and their families, build resilience, and expand their coffee production capacity. 

“An intentional part about Peet's Coffee reaching out to us as Black women-owned importers to use our coffee, it just means the world for us. Not only for just JNP Coffee, but also for the farmers who are our partners, the farmers that we work with.” – Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian

Co-founder and President of BD Imports, Phyllis Johnson holds long-standing relationships with coffee producers throughout East Africa and Latin America, addressing the diverse needs of her clients. She recently founded the Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity, a non-profit focused on building racial equity within the industry.

“There's such a contribution by Black people to coffee. No coffee company that exists should overlook Black History Month or the celebration of Blackness. Without Blackness we wouldn't have coffee.” – Phyllis Johnson

ABOUT THE BLEND: UPLIFTING & SWEET

Sweet and beautifully bright washed beans from Burundi come courtesy of Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, Phyllis Johnson supplies the nutty, aromatic natural Brazil. As in any good blend, together these two origins combine to create a cup that teems with sweet notes of nougat, honey, and brioche, with an aroma of toasted pecans. Roasted to medium perfection, each cup is smooth and balanced.

NOTES FROM THE ROASTERY 

“It’s as if the beans were working in unison.”

Normally when we create a blend, we start with the beans, what each of them brings to the table, and how they contrast and complement each other. In this case, we were presented with an opportunity to approach things differently. We were offered beans by two pioneering Black women in coffee importing, and thus Jubilant Blend was born in honor of Black History Month. It was up to us to learn the beans’ characteristics and to figure out how best to bring them together.

On the one hand, we had beans from the Ngozi region of Burundi, provided by Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian. We’ve already featured these on their own with our 2022 limited release Burundi Turashobora. In line with previous roasts, we knew to expect sparkling acidity, tart cherry, and aromatic tea notes.

On the other, Phyllis Johnson, supplied beans from Cerrado, in the south-center of Brazil. Here, we expected more sweet, nutty, and caramel flavors—out of the gate perfect complements to Burundi’s eye-opening brightness.

Their alignment seemed to manifest in the roast, both responding well to a straightforward 15-minute roast. Both had a steady first crack and built to an obvious consensus. It’s as if they wanted to work with each other.

Both Niyonzima-Aroian and Johnson have made significant contributions to furthering equity for coffee farmers on a global scale, but each has come at it differently. So, too, these two beans brought different things to the table yet forged a unified product that is more than the sum of its parts.

This blend is perfect for pour over, press pot, or even drip, and is frankly delicious straight up or adorned however you enjoy your morning cup. It’s an uplifting way to start the day.

-John Nicolini and Michael Madden, Roasters