Introduction to Uganda's Elgon Coffee Growing Region and Uganda Coffee Name Grading System

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Mount Elgon is the specialty coffee-producing region of Uganda and also the best-quality coffee region in the country. Today, FrontStreet Coffee wants to share with you a specialty coffee from this region: Mount Elgon Anaerobic Natural Grape. When this coffee arrived at the store, FrontStreet Coffee immediately planned its roasting profile, comparing and selecting three traditional curves before optimizing and finalizing the profile. When brewed, this coffee offers mature fruit-like aromas, with grape and citrus sweet and sour notes upon entry, followed by nutty and creamy smoothness and sweetness in the later stage. The overall experience leans toward a juicy texture with rich and solid body.

Uganda: The Pearl of Africa

Uganda is a landlocked country in eastern Africa. The water-rich Uganda boasts countless lakes, wetlands, and rivers, and Uganda is also the source of the great Nile River. Year-round mist-shrouded volcanoes, glaciers, hot springs, deserts, and undulating fertile hills dot the landscape. Uganda has established over 500 protected areas and several national parks. These excellent geographical environments allow many primate species and over 1,000 precious and rare bird species to safely inhabit here. At the same time, Uganda is gradually becoming a natural ecotourism destination.

Coffee provides stable income for farmers of the Bakonzo tribe, enabling them to support their families and develop their homesteads alongside many other farms. This region has many small towns with predominantly lowland terrain and has developed a good road network. These towns are ideal locations for coffee processing, home to many farmer groups and equipped with corresponding processing facilities, including the Kisinga processing station, which focuses on specialty Arabica coffee production and processing. The average farm area is 2 acres, where farmers work as family units, first performing manual operations, then collaborating with other community groups for processing and sales. This practice is known as shared agriculture.

The most famous Ugandan coffee is Bugisu, grown on the western slopes of Mount Elgon. Produced on the steep slopes of Mount Elgon at the border with Kenya, coffee transportation is almost entirely done using donkeys. The coffee is rich and viscous, with some comparing its characteristics to Indonesia's Mandheling coffee.

Name/Grade classifications include: 1. Bugisu AA 2. Wugar A 3. Drugar Uganda 4. Bugisu AA 5. Uganda Bugisu AA

Processing Method

The processing method for these beans is anaerobic fermentation natural. Its drying process involves first placing them in a ventilated channel on raised single-layer beds for 5 days, then mechanically drying for 15 hours at 30°C temperature.

FrontStreet Coffee Green Bean Analysis

These beans are composed of SL14 and SL28, both quite common varieties in Uganda! The SL varieties come from research and selection by Scott Laboratories. Kenyan coffee became world-famous thanks to SL28 and SL34, so the Ugandan government heavily promoted them, distributing SL seeds to farmers. Among these, SL14 not only has excellent flavor but also possesses drought resistance, and can be harvested just two years after planting, quite meeting farmers' needs. The green beans have a yellow-green color and smell of orange and grass aromas.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Analysis

Roaster: Yangjia 800N (batch size: 300g)

Charge at 160°C with 100 heat power and air damper at 3; turning point at 1'36", when temperature reaches 140°C, open air damper to 4, heat unchanged; when temperature reaches 146.1°C, bean surface turns yellow, grass aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration phase. When temperature reaches 166°C, adjust heat to 80°C, air damper unchanged; at 8'27", bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the first crack sound. First crack starts at 9'10", open air damper to 5. Develop for 1'30 after first crack, discharge at 194°C.

Agtron bean color value is 72.4 (left image), Agtron ground color value is 80.4 (right image), Roast Delta value is 8.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Notes

Aroma shows fermented notes, with citrus, plum, dried fruit, caramel, and nut flavors when sipped.

Uganda Grape Anaerobic Natural

Region: Mount Elgon, Uganda

Altitude: 1600-1850 meters

Processing Method: Anaerobic fermentation natural

Varieties: SL14 & SL28

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Analysis

Dripper: V60 Water Temperature: 90°C Ratio: 1:15 Grind: Medium-fine, similar to raw sugar thickness (VARIO 5O: 57% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Method

Segmented extraction. Bloom with 34g of water for 25 seconds. Pour in circles to 130g, then segment. When water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 226g and stop. When water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from bloom) Extraction time: 1'45".

Flavor: Aroma shows fermented notes and light green grape sour aroma. Entry has grape, citrus, lime, and berry acidity. Mid-palate has creamy aroma, while the finish has caramel sweetness and cocoa aftertaste, with a juicy sensation. When this bean is consumed at higher temperatures, it feels richer with a solid texture. As the temperature decreases, it delivers a sweet and sour sensation.

Important Notice :

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