MONTHLY SPECIAL - UGANDA, MUKURU FLORALS SIRONKO, MT. ELGON

Every month, our resident Q Grader and third-generation Wogan, James, searches the world to find a coffee that is ‘weird and wonderful’, and truly excites. A micro-lot, a great back-story, an impressive cooperative, or a particularly unusual taste; once it's gone, it's gone. We keep the prices of these extraordinary coffees down, so that you have the chance to try something that you might not be able to get your hands on otherwise. ---- This exceptional micro-lot comes directly from smallholder producer Norman Mukuru, whose farm sits on the fertile volcanic slopes of Mount Elgon in Eastern Uganda. While many coffees from this region are fully washed, this Natural process lot showcases the extraordinary sweetness, heavy body, and tropical complexity achievable when fully ripe cherries are meticulously sun-dried with their fruit intact. Producer Spotlight: Norman Mukuru Norman Mukuru is an artisan coffee farmer working on the high-altitude, nutrient-rich slopes surrounding Sironko. Partnering with The Coffee Gardens, Norman focuses on precision harvesting—hand-picking only the deepest, perfectly ripe red cherries. Norman’s cherries undergo a careful Natural (Dry) Process: Selection: Cherries are flotation-tested and hand-sorted so only flawless, high-sugar cherries make the cut. Drying: The whole cherries are spread on raised African drying beds at The Coffee Gardens’ micro-processing station in Sironko. Fermentation & Curing: Over 2 to 3 weeks, the cherries are turned constantly to ensure even airflow and gentle fermentation, allowing the natural fruit sugars to penetrate deep into the green coffee bean before being gently hulled. This labour-intensive natural drying process creates a luscious, fruit-forward cup with a heavier body and elevated sweetness compared to its washed counterpart.