UGANDA - Rwenzori

The Flavour Profile

This is a light/medium roast with warm notes of caramel and fudge, a touch of honey sweetness and a bright apple finish. Fully washed, this Ugandan coffee delivers a clean, smooth and beautifully balanced cup — the washing process highlights clarity and brightness in every sip.

With a light to medium body, it’s smooth, sweet and wonderfully approachable in every cup.

Perfect for filter brewing methods — pour over, V60, AeroPress and cafetière — this is a coffee that can be enjoyed all day long.

Single origin and roasted to order, this Ugandan specialty coffee delivers warmth and sweetness every time. And we can grind it for you too!

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Freshly roasted to order by Nick at our small family roastery in Canterbury.

The Little Details

This coffee comes from Rwenzori Bugoye Washing Station in Bugoye, Kasese, in The Rwenzori region of Western Uganda. Grown by various members of the Rwenzori Arabica Scheme, managed by Kyagalanyi Coffee Ltd, a cross small family farms of less than one hectare each. The farms sit at altitude between 1700 and 2200 metres above sea level. Its drawn from SL14 and SL28 varietals, fully washed and dried on raised beds.

About the Process

Kyagalanyi is one of the entities that makes possible for smallholders to participate in specialty markets. 

During the harvest season, Kyagalanyi encourages producers to deliver cherry to the respective wet mills instead of hand pulping on their farm. This has given the programme increased control over processing activities, which can be challenging in the region as rains during the harvest season are common. Most farmers live up to 50 kilometres away from the washing station. Due to the long distance Kyagalanyi has atruck that offers free transport services that visits every farmer group 1-2 times per week during harvest season. As the coffee trees flower multiple times, the harvest season is quite long (4-5 months). Farmers normally pick coffee at least once every week.

Kyagalanyi implements a 95% red cherry policy. When producers arrive at the Manafwa washing station, the washing station manager will check the cherry quality. If the quality is not good enough, farmers will have to sort their cherries at the station until 95% red before their coffee is purchased. Kyagalanyi provides tarpaulins and racks to assist in the sorting.

This coffee was processed using the washed method. Once delivered, the coffee is floated, pulped and fermented for 12 hours in a large steel tanks. The coffee is then washed through channels, graded and then moved to dry on raised beds inside polytunnels. The air is too hot to dry outside uncovered, which can cause cracks in the parchment. Additionally, regular rainfall makes it equally difficult to dry in the open. It will stay here for three to seven days depending on the weather, and drying is controlled byturning the coffee regularly and maintaining and equal depth of cherry on the beds. The coffee is then move to the dry mill in Mbale to dry mechanically for three to four days.