Uganda Bududa Natural Process

This is a really lovely coffee from Uganda. It has a fruity front end to it, with notes of pineapple and mango. There is a great body and depth of flavour with a zingy but not overwhelming acidity. On the finish there is a hazelnut and caramel note. Very much for those that enjoy a fruity cup.

This lot is sourced from farmers in the communities of Bududa and Bukalasi on Mount Elgon, Eastern Uganda. The purchase price of this coffee includes a dedicated premium used to fund social projects in the community. 

Mt Elgon is an extinct volcano on the border with Kenya and is thought to be the oldest volcano on the African continent. The massive base and gentle slopes support thousands of smallholder farmers, with arabica coffee is cultivated across a broad band around the mountain between 1,200 and 2,200masl. Volcanic soils, plentiful rain, high altitude and abundant sunshine are all contributing factors to the excellent terroir of the Mt Elgon region.

After independence in 1962, Uganda had a fine reputation for coffee, with strong cooperatives working across the mountain - most famously the Bugisu Cooperative Union. Quality cultivation and harvesting practices were employed and the industry boomed. However, over time, quality started to become compromised due to a variety of reasons and buyers started to become (rightly) suspicious of the quality coming out of the country.  As a result, prices plummeted, and for many farmers growing coffee was simply not economically viable. There was very little differential local market for quality and so the quality-driven processes were largely abandoned. In recent years however, the specialty industry has grown, and producers have started to realise that there is demand and economic incentive for high quality coffee.

The Natural process involves the ripe cherries being delivered to the mill where they are sorted and graded then placed onto raised drying beds in thins layers and turned every 2-3 hours. 6-8weeks later, depending on weather and temperature, the beans are de-hulled. This gives the coffee a very fruity & zingy cup. 

Price shown per 500g