We taste: berries, concord grape, cranberry

Farmers: 258 smallholder farmers
Mill: Sironko Washing Station
Region: Mt. Elgon
Processing Method: Natural, Anaerobic
Elevation: 1,600-2,200 msl
Variety: Nyasaland, SL-14, SL-28
Certification: Organic

The Sironko Washing Station is a hub of innovation and research. Run by Ibrahim Kiganda and his team, cherries are funnel here from some of the mountain’s most isolated communities in Yilwanako Mayiyi, Buginyanya, Bushiyi, Makali, Bukalasi, and Sipi. Equipped with years of data, Ibrahim fine-tunes his station and staff each season, allowing him to take coffees to competitions globally to secure Uganda’s place in the specialty industry. As Uganda’s National Barista Competition winner (AFCA, 2022), you will be sure to see Uganda’s excellence from beehive to barista in these coffees through Ibrahim’s and his team’s work.

This special nano lot, curated by Ibrahim, is comprised of cherries exclusively from the Northern part of Mount Elgon with a cherry board anlaysis of 80% and above and a brix reading of 17 and above. The cherries are then placed in drums filling to the top for a dry fermentation with no water. The drum is then closed and sealed to ferment for 72 hours. It is then opened and placed on raised beds to dry in our facility's open drying space in direct sun, then finalizes drying in shade area until it reaches 10.5% moisture content. The natural pods cure in our temperature controlled warehouse in Mbale, resting for up to two months for best results.

When brewed, this Ugandan coffee is fruity with notes of blueberry and Concord grape as well as hints of cranberry. It’s sweet and creamy on its own but holds up well with milk and sugar.