Uganda Bujuku Nº 375

Bujuku Valley is a stunning high-altitude glacial valley in the Rwenzori Mountains of western Uganda, just north of Lake George. The Kasese region has some of the best conditions in the country for growing specialty Arabica coffee, with high elevations, rich volcanic soils and plenty of rainfall.

For a long time, though, the area hasn’t been able to fully realise its coffee potential. Widespread poverty, limited infrastructure and decades of political instability and underinvestment have made it difficult for farmers to access specialty markets. That’s slowly changing, with more specialty coffee producers working directly with smallholder farmers across the Rwenzori Mountains to improve quality, increase yields and build a fairer, more sustainable coffee industry.

This lot comes from a group of smallholder farmers in Kasese, where farms sit between 1,200 and 2,000 metres above sea level. They grow Nyasaland, one of the oldest Arabica varieties found in East Africa, alongside well-known varieties such as SL14 and SL28.

The coffee is processed using Uganda’s traditional natural method, known as DRUGAR (Dried Uganda Arabica). After the cherries are hand-picked and sorted for quality, they’re placed in water tanks, where low-density, under-ripe and damaged cherries float to the surface and are removed. The remaining cherries are dried on African raised beds, where they’re regularly turned to ensure even drying. Once the coffee reaches its target moisture level, it’s hulled to remove the dried fruit before being prepared for export.

Natural processing typically produces a coffee with a fuller body, a sweeter, more fruit forward character, and plenty of intensity in the cup. This lot is a great example of that style and works particularly well as an espresso.