Organic Uganda Kisabasi Natural

What We Love

For the second consecutive year we’re highlighting the highest-altitude coffee grown in Uganda: Kisabasi Natural. This selection is a rare Wonderstate-exclusive glimpse into what makes Ugandan coffee unique, distinct, and remarkable. This year's lot features tones of jammy cherry jelly, complimented by an array of caramelized sugar flavors reminding us of a decadent stroopwafel and finishing with aromas of baked almond croissants.

About the Producer

Ugandan coffee is breaking its way onto the global coffee scene. Situated right in the heart of East Africa’s coffee growing zone, Uganda shares many of the climate conditions and tree-varieties that make Rwandan, Kenyan and Burundian coffees some of our seasonal favorites. Similarly, the vast majority of the coffee produced in Uganda comes from smallholder farmers practicing tried and true organic cultivation techniques. These producers often grow coffee on just a few acres of land, so the process of building exportable volumes means aggregating coffees from across a whole community, sometimes upwards of a thousand farmers at a time. In this context, creating and securing quality is hard work: it takes vision and dedication to ensure the best coffees grown in these communities aren’t “blended away” with lower quality grades, but separated and highlighted for their remarkable qualities. 

The community of Kisabasi sits on the slopes of Mount Elgon, an ancient volcano and one of the most fertile growing regions in the country. This year’s selection comes from just a select few farmers whose farms sit around 2,100 meters above sea level: the highest growing altitudes in all of Uganda. At these altitudes, coffee cherries mature very slowly, which contributes to the sweetness and complexity of this selection. 

In a country where most coffees are blended from countless small farms, this selection stands out: its flavors capture the distinct characteristics of this past harvest, yielding a completely unique terroir of Uganda that remains unmatched amongst the many coffees produced each year. 

About the Coffee

This coffee was processed using the traditional natural method. The farmers of Kisabasi deliver ripe cherries to a local washing station, where they’re hand-sorted for ripeness and then dried slowly on raised beds for around 30 days until optimal moisture levels are achieved. 

As with most naturals, this cup leans into rustic fruit and sugar tones. It displays layered sweetness and fruitiness, with hints of spice and candied nuts. The primary variety cultivated in this area, SL34, is similar to those grown in neighboring Kenya. This variety is well recognized for its complexity and sweetness, as well as intricate and rich acidity at higher altitudes. But compared to the average Kenyan coffee, this selection from Kisabasi displays an acidity that’s softer and rounder. And yet, this selection from Kisabasi retains complexity that is unmistakable. That's the direct result of the care taken by both the producers and the team at Kawacom’s Sipi Falls Washing Station. Their dedication to agricultural training and building quality systems continues to raise the bar for Ugandan coffee.