Mollases, Spiced Rum, Cherry
Screen 18 Robusta Coffee from Uganda offers a unique taste experience with its notes of cola and black tea, sourced from multiple farms in the region. Enjoy the rich and robust flavor of Ugandan coffee in every sip.
Origin: Uganda
Region: Various
Washing Station/Estate: Various Washing Station
Owners: Various smallholder farmers
Altitude: 1300-2030 masl
Varieties: SL14
Harvest: October - February
Processing: Fully Washed
Uganda Robusta SCR 18
Robusta once grew wild along the northern shores of Lake Victoria. The coffee was popular among the Baganda people, whose Buganda Kingdom was dominant in the Lake Victoria region from the 1840s through to the 1890s, when King Mwanga II signed a treaty with Britain establishing Buganda as a protectorate of the British East Africa Company.
Bagandans domesticated wild Robusta and cultivated it in their household gardens. Robusta also held important cultural significance and was mainly used for traditional and cultural ceremonies.
When Europeans arrived in East Africa, they saw the dual potential of Robusta plants and the region’s fertile earth. They endeavored to make all the separate kingdoms and groups governable as a single entity by neutralizing religious and cultural differences. One of the ways they did this was by gradually minimizing the importance of Robusta in Bagandan culture. Colonizers told Bagandans that it was unhealthy to drink coffee or chew the beans. As Robusta lost significance in the culture, the British began commoditizing it
Uganda is the native home to one species of Robusta, and commercial coffee production in the country goes back to the beginning of the 20th century.
The bulk of our Uganda coffee is sourced from the West, near the Rwenzori Mountains. The biggest difference between East (Mount Elgon) and West (Rwenzori) is that Mount Elgon is a more established and competitive market. We are excited to be at the forefront of the drive for enhancing coffee production infrastructure, developing the industry and becoming reliable partners for farmers in the Rwenzori Mountain region.
It is clear to us that the potential in this region might exceed our expectations and even the potential of the popular Mount Elgon region. With an ever-growing demand for high quality Arabicas and a sustained interest from roasters and coffee drinkers in the East African origins, we are very confident that, with diligence and effort, Western Ugandan coffees will be able to take their place alongside the other great East African coffees.