LimitedSpecialty
Uganda · Bugisu (Mount Elgon)
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed
- Grade
- Bugisu AA
- Screen
- 18+
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 1 × 20ft
Baked apple · Cane sugar · Cedar
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
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.
Request current bugisu coffeeThe 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.
| Grade | Screen | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bugisu AA | Screen 18 and above | The headline export grade |
| Bugisu A | Screen 17 | Below AA in the size ladder |
| Bugisu B | Screen 15–16 | Volume block |
| Bugisu PB | Own PB screen run | Peaberry separation |
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.
Request Current Crop OfferLast reviewed 2 min read
Availability
Current Bugisu Coffee
Availability moves with the harvest, with milling and with prior commitments. Everything here is confirmed against the current crop on enquiry.
Quality
Quality evaluation
Every parcel runs the same sequence before it is offered and again before it is loaded. What is reported for a given lot depends on what the buyer specifies.
- 01Physical gradePreparation class against the origin’s own system
- 02Screen distributionRetention plus the percentage passing
- 03Defect analysisFull defects per 300 g on a stated weighting table
- 04MoistureRange plus the measurement method and instrument
- 05Water activityWhere the buyer specifies it, for storage stability
- 06DensityBulk density in g/L, for roast planning
- 07Sample roastTo a cupping profile, not a commercial roast
- 08CuppingMultiple cups, against the approved sample
- 09Buyer approvalThe retained sample the shipment is measured against
Export
Packing and export
- Ports of loading
- Mombasa (Northern Corridor), Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor)
- Bag standard
- 60 kg jute; Robusta also moves in bulk-lined containers
- Export window
- Year-round, with the heaviest Robusta shipments December–April
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF
Compare
Against the other East African origins
Grade designations do not translate between origins, and harvest windows barely overlap. This is how the region compares at a glance.
| Origin | Species | Main preparation | Representative grades | Harvest | Ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanzania | Arabica · Robusta | Fully washed · Natural | AA · A · AB · B | June–October in the south; July–December in the north | Dar es Salaam · Tanga |
| Kenya | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Mbuni (natural) | E · AA · AB · PB | Main crop October–December; early (fly) crop May–July | Mombasa |
| Ethiopia | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (sun-dried) | Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3 · Grade 4 | October–January, varying by region and altitude | Djibouti (primary transit port) |
| Rwanda | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (growing) | Grade 1 (fully washed) · Grade 2 · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July, with the peak in April and May | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Burundi | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Natural (limited) | Grade A · Grade B · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July | Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) · Mombasa (Northern Corridor) |
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.
Request an offer
Tell us the Uganda coffee you need
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.