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Jber Coffee LimitedGreen Coffee · Origin Supply

Uganda · Growing region

Bugisu Coffee

Bugisu is both a place and a grade family, which is the first thing to be clear about when reading a Ugandan offer list.
Species
Robusta · Arabica
Preparation
Fully washed · Natural (limited)
Harvest
October–February
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A dish of green coffee drawn as a trade sample, with a hand-written card reading Uganda Bugisu AA 4758.

Quick answer

Bugisu is the Mount Elgon growing area in eastern Uganda, 1,500–2,300 m, producing washed Arabica sold under the Bugisu designation with its own AA, A, B and PB size ladder. Harvest runs October to February and the cup is characteristically full-bodied and winey.

Contract on: region · grade · screen · process · crop · moisture · defect tolerance · cup approval.

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The mountain

Mount Elgon is an extinct volcano straddling the Uganda–Kenya border. Ugandan coffee grows on its western and south-western slopes, from around 1,500 m up to 2,300 m — among the highest Arabica in the region. Volcanic soils, reliable rainfall and a wide diurnal temperature range at altitude combine to slow cherry maturation.

Farming is smallholder, on steep terrain, with plots frequently intercropped. Cooperative societies and unions have a long history in the area, and washing station capacity has expanded alongside them.

A place and a grade family

Washed Elgon coffee is sold under the Bugisu name with a size ladder that will look familiar to anyone buying Kenyan or Tanzanian coffee.

Bugisu grades
GradeScreenNotes
Bugisu AAScreen 18 and aboveThe headline export grade
Bugisu AScreen 17Below AA in the size ladder
Bugisu BScreen 15–16Volume block
Bugisu PBOwn PB screen runPeaberry separation
As everywhere outside Ethiopia, these describe size and preparation rather than cup quality.

The cup

The characteristic Bugisu profile is full-bodied and winey: baked apple, cane sugar and cedar, with more weight and less piercing acidity than a Kenyan from comparable altitude. Well-separated high-altitude lots gain structure and citrus without losing the body.

That combination — weight plus moderate acidity — makes Bugisu a useful espresso component and an approachable single origin.

Practical notes

Altitude
1,500–2,300 m
Harvest
October–February
Export window
December–July
Processing
Fully washed; limited naturals
Varieties
SL14, SL28, Nyasaland and local material
Traceability
Washing station and farmer group
Port
Mombasa via the Northern Corridor

Bugisu enquiries

Tell us the grade and volume. We will confirm what the current crop supports, with the washing station and farmer group identified.

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Updated 2 min read

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is Bugisu a region or a grade?
Both. Bugisu is the Mount Elgon growing area, and washed Arabica from it is sold under the Bugisu name with its own AA, A, B and PB size ladder. Treat it as a regional designation carrying a grade family.
What altitude is Bugisu coffee grown at?
Roughly 1,500 to 2,300 m on the western and south-western slopes of Mount Elgon — among the highest Arabica in the region.
What does Bugisu coffee taste like?
Characteristically full-bodied and winey: baked apple, cane sugar and cedar, with more weight and less piercing acidity than a Kenyan from comparable altitude.

Keep reading

Related to Bugisu Coffee

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Region, process, grade, screen, moisture, defect tolerance, crop year, packaging and destination. Send what you know and we will confirm what Uganda realistically supports for the current crop.

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