This coffee has come a long way since we first tasted it in 2015. Back then, the lot from Wanale didn’t quite hit the mark, falling short of specialty grade and any real excitement on the cupping table. But year after year, the team at Zukuka Bora (ZB) has committed to the long game, improving quality, refining processing, and investing in the farmers across Mt Elgon. Zukuka Bora began with a simple idea: that smallholder farmers in Uganda’s east deserved a clearer path to market, without relying on predatory middlemen or inconsistent buyers. Since then, they have built washing stations across the region, implemented training programs, and pushed quality control standards that match or exceed those in other producing countries. Their Budwale site, just around the corner from Wanale, is a perfect example of how community trust and investment can scale, growing from 38 to 131 producers in just one year. Wanale, meanwhile, has quietly become a washed-process staple in ZB’s catalogue. Through better farming practices, careful cherry selection and dialled-in processing techniques, the farmers here have unlocked something special. After harvest, cherries are pulped, fermented overnight in water, then dried slowly in parabolic dryers on raised beds. It is a method that preserves clarity and structure in the final cup. This year’s lot is rich, balanced and deeply satisfying. Expect silky milk chocolate, a pop of blood orange, and a buttery shortbread finish. A washed coffee with both polish and personality, and a proud reflection of the people who brought it to life. We have imported this coffee directly from our friends at Zukuka Bora, legends through and through, and a driving force behind some of the most exciting coffees coming out of Uganda today.