The Rwenzori Mountains on the border between Uganda and the Congo are translated in local languages as “Mountains of the Moon,” and the Uganda Rwenzori from the Milan-based roastery Nowhere Coffee Roasters lives up to this poetic name. In the cup, you’ll find subtle notes of vanilla and tonka beans, which blend with a delicate floral hint of orange blossom into a clean, elegant profile that faithfully reflects both the altitude and the meticulous care taken right at the source. Washed Ugandan coffees from this region are generally characterized by a balanced body, brightness, and fruity-floral notes with pleasant acidity, and this lot also has a complex, layered character without feeling heavy.
This lot comes from the Nyabirongo region in the Rwenzori Mountains of western Uganda, where approximately 230 smallholder farmers grow coffee on fertile volcanic soil at an elevation of 1,500 to 1,800 meters above sea level. The equatorial climate, with two rainy seasons interspersed with long periods of sunshine, promotes the balanced and gradual ripening of SL14 and SL28 coffee cherries. Processing takes place under the supervision of our export partner, Agri Evolve, which has long been dedicated to quality development in the local specialty coffee scene.
The coffee undergoes traditional washed processing, but with one difference that sets it apart from most washed coffees. While elsewhere freshly harvested cherries are typically transported to a central washing station, where hulling, fermentation, and drying take place, here the farmers handle this part of the process themselves on their own farms. Only the finished, dried coffee in its protective husk is then transported to the center in Nyabirong, where it undergoes careful sorting, cleaning, and grading before it is ready for export. Thanks to this, the export partner Agri Evolve has control over quality from the moment the farmers’ harvest arrives, which contributes to the consistency and clarity of the final cup.