Uganda Micro-Batch Natural Bean Mt. Elgon Region Kawahibi/ Kabeywa Sipi Kabeywa SL

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Flavor Characteristics of Uganda Micro-Lot Natural Process Coffee - Sipi Kabeywa SL14 from Mount Elgon Region

This coffee from Uganda, the Sipi Kabeywa, is of the SL14 variety—a premium specialty variety that the Ugandan government has been vigorously promoting in recent years. Undoubtedly, this is the most impressive Ugandan coffee we've encountered to date. On one hand, Sipi is an exceptionally high-level organic processing facility, and this is a quite rare micro-lot natural process coffee from Uganda. The Kawacom Cooperative was the first organization in Africa to participate in organic sustainability programs. The "Sipi Organic Plan" was launched in 2002, making it the first coffee in Africa to receive UTZ CERTIFIED certification. Compost is used for fertilization, and the shade is well-maintained. Kawacom's washing station features first-class equipment, centrally processing cherries delivered by farmers, with mechanical depulping performed on the same day, following strict washing protocols. Kawacom collects fresh cherries from nearby farmers at 9 locations, naming them by different altitudes and collection points. The champion coffee from this season's Kawacom was collected at "Kabeywa," with the runner-up also coming from Kawacom, collected at Masira. In fact, different batches from Kawacom's 2017 new season secured 7 of the top 10 positions in the TOH competition, including the top three all being different batches of "Sipi Kabeywa"—truly remarkable!

Each year, major coffee-producing countries in Africa hold national green bean competitions called "The Taste of Harvest" (TOH), similar to the Cup of Excellence in Central and South America. TOH has become the competitive arena for discovering the best coffees from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Congo.

In the 2017 Taste of Harvest competition held in Uganda, "Kawacom/Kabeywa" took the championship, with Fisher Coffee from Qingdao, China, successfully bidding for it!

Many people assume that Uganda only produces Robusta, but in the Mount Elgon region of Uganda's eastern Kapchorwa province, bordering Kenya, the coffee is as exceptional as specialty Kenyan coffee. The championship-winning "Kawacom Farmers' Group" is located in Mount Elgon, established in 2000 with 5,000 farmers initially, expanding to over 10,000 participating farmers today. Individual farmers operate on a very small scale, owning between 200 to 500 coffee trees, intercropped with other crops such as bananas and soybeans, with an average farm area of only 0.5 hectares. In the past, farmers tended to process fresh cherries themselves using simple depulping machines. After Kawacom built first-class washing stations, they strongly encouraged farmers to deliver cherries to central processing facilities to improve quality.

The varieties grown by Ugandan farmers are SL14 and SL28. The SL varieties come from research and selection by Scott Laboratories. Kenyan coffee became world-famous for SL28 and SL34, and thus the Ugandan government vigorously promoted and distributed SL seeds to farmers. Among these, SL14 not only offers excellent flavor but also possesses drought resistance, and can be harvested just two years after planting—quite suitable for farmers' needs.

Mount Elgon is an extinct volcano. It is said to have once been Africa's highest peak. Local people believe that deities reside on the summit, far beyond mortal reach. When the deities are pleased, there is abundant rain and dew, benefiting the entire mountainside, where everything flourishes in lush greenery. The coffee gardens of Kawacom members are scattered throughout Mount Elgon. After volcanic activity ceased, a massive crater formed at the summit of Mount Elgon, which then accumulated water to become a lake. The streams flowing down from the lake irrigate the crops on the mountainside. During the rainy season, the streams swell dramatically, forming spectacular waterfalls, among which the Sipi Falls is the largest, with water cascading down 200 meters.

Starting in 2015, Kawacom not only processes washed coffee but also produces micro-lot natural process coffee. After removing unqualified floaters, they undergo 3 weeks of natural sun-drying, during which the cherries are constantly turned to avoid fermentation or mold, achieving a very clean and rich flavor profile.

This Uganda TOH championship coffee was grown by farmers near Kabeywa, naturally processed at Kawacom's washing station, and successfully bid for by Fisher Coffee from Qingdao, China. Fisher's head roaster Zhang Rong has particularly deep feelings about this coffee:

"This coffee completely changed my perspective on Ugandan coffee. Compared to Ethiopian and Kenyan origins, Ugandan coffee is like a rising star of specialty coffee on the African continent. In today's popular natural process trend, elegant natural flavors combined with the unique characteristics of the coffee's origin—this type of natural coffee is what fascinates me most. This Ugandan coffee is the first coffee of this new season that truly excited me. During the roasting stage, I used a smaller initial heat and a slower roasting rhythm to express the multi-layered flavors of this coffee, agstron89."

Coffee Details

Country of Origin: Uganda

Region: Mount Elgon; Kapchorwa Province; Eastern Uganda

Farm: Kawacom Farmer's Group, Sipi Project

Producer: Small farmers near Kabeywa collection point

Altitude: 1,700-2,000 meters

Variety: SL14

Processing Method: Natural Process

Awards: 2017 Uganda Taste of Harvest Champion

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing:

Dripper: KONO dripper

Water Temperature: 88°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 4

Brewing Method: 1:14 coffee-to-water ratio, 17g coffee grounds. First pour 25g water for 30s bloom, then continue pouring to 238g total water. Extraction time around 2:30 minutes.

Analysis: The KONO dripper doesn't have many ribs at the bottom, causing the filter paper to fit tightly against the dripper, which restricts airflow. This allows water and coffee grounds to have longer contact and steeping time in the dripper, ensuring adequate extraction time and extraction rate for coarse grinds. This enables the coffee grounds to be fully extracted, enhancing the rich, mellow mouthfeel and making the flavor more concentrated.

Flavor: Well-balanced, clean, with a thick and solid mouthfeel, and a persistent dark chocolate aftertaste.

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