Uganda can be quite a surprise, and this coffee from Sprout Coffee Roasters is a great example of that. It shows that even Uganda offers very clean and elegant coffees with a varied flavor profile. In the cup, it combines the sweetness of molasses, the subtle nuttiness of walnuts, and the fruity notes of dried plums. The result is a fuller, sweeter profile that doesn’t rely on pronounced fruity acidity, but rather on a balanced combination of sweetness, fruitiness, and nutty character.
Behind this coffee is producer Norman Mukuru and the Wanale Coffee project, named after the prominent peak overlooking the city of Mbale in the eastern part of the country. The cherries come from growers in several areas around Mt. Elgon. The largest portion of the lot consists of coffee from the Bududa region (59%), followed by Mbale (19%), Kapchorwa (14%), Sironko (7%), and Bulambuli (1%). The coffee grows here at an elevation of approximately 1, 300 to 1, 600 meters. Processing takes place directly in the individual communities under the supervision of trained lead farmers, who oversee every step from pulping through fermentation to the drying process itself.
The lot consists of the Nyasaland, SL14, and SL28 varieties and is processed using the washed method. After harvest, the pulp is removed from the coffee cherries; the beans then undergo fermentation and are subsequently dried. The washed processing helps preserve the purity and clarity of individual flavor notes, which, in the case of Sticky Clean, is reflected in the name itself. The combination of traditional varieties grown on the slopes of Mt. Elgon and meticulous processing thus results in a sweet, balanced, and pleasantly complex Ugandan coffee.
- Producer: Norman Mukuru
- Altitude: 1,300–1,600 m above sea level