Uganda Rwenzori Natural One Roast
Uganda Rwenzori Natural
The romancing of our Western Ugandan coffees of Rwenzori continues. We can never be certain when buying a coffee that what arrives from the warehouse is of the same pedigree as the sample. This lot is a dream in terms of just how sweet and balanced it is, as I will elaborate on below. As I write this, our man in the field (JW) is visiting the very washing stations that this coffee comes from.
Farm Stats
(Top Trumps if you prefer)
Farmers: Smallholder farms average size of 1/2 hectare.
Mill; Rwenzori Coffee Company
Area: Rwenzori, westen Uganda
Altitude: 1200 to 2300 Meters above sea level
Varietals: SL28, SL34
Process: Natural
Roast: Cool drop; medium filter.
Cup Potential 🥣
Aromatics: Caramel and chocolate | Body: Rich and Creamy | Acidity: Soft and sweet: Prune/ Figs|
Unlike the chaotic explosion of horses from a racing gate, there is just no rush with this coffee. In fact, more time is just better in every way.
As I leisurely start tasting this lot, there is a “carob meets chocolate” moment with something that might be citric in there. This is no boozy, overripe fermenty number, this is balance. Brown fruit sugars prevail on cooling (prunes for me initially) with a chocolatey background and a cocoa finish. The acidity becomes ripe and sweet, deep and soft. This coffee is simple (in some ways) yet a thing of beauty. As things cool to the penultimate pass, this (to me) is fig-like with a sweetness akin to melon, with that persistent finish. The finish is a real punctuation, otherwise, you (or I) would never stop drinking this…
Filter Recipe: This is a dream filter brew. 65g per litre in cafetiere will be spot on with all of the other things in place.
Espresso Potential.
Recipe:16-18g into 32-36g of espresso liquid in 25-30 seconds. 93.5+C seems to work for milk-based drinks. There is so much soluble in this coffee that it is such an easy coffee to brew.
9oz Milk-based drink: This is such a sweet, soft, velvety milk chocolatey cuddle of a coffee. Best with whole milk, it loves you back.
6oz Milk-based drink: I know I often use the word MORE with flat whites, but that is the point. More flavour, less milk. More brown fruit sugars, deeper chocolate and that finish that crops up in filer brewing.
Espresso: This just didn’t work (for me) at 93C(+.5C) By adding 1 degree C, to 94.5C lifted the mist away and the tannins became sugars, and that brown fruity theme came into the espresso.
16-18g of coffee into 45g of espresso liquid 28-32 seconds.
Local/ Farm Info
This coffee comes to us via the Rwenzori Coffee Company, and Omwani. This is the sum of many smallholder farmers, with great processing. I have written a little more here, to save you from having to read the same words on 3 different products from the same mill. These are exciting times indeed for Ugandan coffee.
If you fancy sharing your brews with us, there is always JG Instagram
