THE FARM: The Rwenzori mountain range (aka - Mountains of the Moon), in Western Uganda is an up-and-coming region offering consistently high-quality Ugandan green coffee beans. The Bugoye community resides north of Kasese, living and farming throughout altitudes ranging from 1,300-1,900masl in western Uganda. The smallholders grow coffee as their main cash crop. Harvesting and selling cherries pays for essentials like sending children to school. Uganda is a landlocked country in Africa, which means green coffee must first travel through Kenya to reach the Mombasa port before it can be exported internationally. European countries like Italy and Germany are the top importers of Uganda green coffee, but as more effort is put into Arabica coffee production through government incentives, the market reach of Uganda specialty coffee is also widening.

This is a natural (or dry) processed coffee. In the natural process, only the ripest coffee cherries are harvested. The entire procedure requires thorough planning because drying naturals is a slow process that can take up to four weeks. Coffee cherries are dried whole, without removing any of the fruit, on raised beds set out in the sun. During this stage, the coffee is turned regularly to increase airflow, support even drying, and prevent spoilage. After the cherries have been dried, they rest in conditioning bins and are only hulled as the shipment time draws near.

The Rwenzoris are known for producing naturals, but much of Uganda’s Arabica green coffee used to be made up of “drugar” (dried Ugandan Arabica) grade beans that were inconsistent and often of poor quality. As a result, farmers struggled to earn much cash from these harvests. Now, new receiving stations enable great coffee to be delivered and processed into high-quality lots of natural and washed Uganda green coffee, including experimental micro-lots. This coffee was collected via the receiving stations, where farmers are paid double what they’re used to getting for “drugars” (dried Ugandan Arabica).

OUR ROAST: The ground coffee has raw sugars and sandalwood accents, a scent of baking spices with some hints of fragrant cut wood. The level of sweetness gains momentum after the hot water is poured, and an aromatic mixture of cocoa butter, and molasses ginger cookie comes up in the steam. Our deep roast has a sturdy base of bitter-sweetness that cools to notes of rustic palm sugar, roasted barley tea, prune, and a cedar wood aroma that marks the finish. This is a unique East African coffee that stands out from the coffees from neighbors Kenya and Rwanda.

*** All prices are per pound ***