Uganda Dry Process Masaka Robusta

Masaka is located in Central Uganda, and quite a different coffee landscape than in the East where most of our coffee was sourced. Farms in this area are on a much larger scale than the smallholder farms in Mount Elgon region, and lower altitude too. The low altitude and warm climate are a big part of the reason this area is predominantly planted in Robusta. Low altitude is not something we talk about much in coffee, mainly because the Arabica species - most of what we buy - does poorly in those conditions because of susceptibility to pests, fungus and diseases. Robusta, however, is an entirely different coffee species (Coffea canephora), and thrives in low, hot regions. Robusta has a naturally high caffeine content, which offers resilience to the problems that plague Arabica. Robust as it may be, cup quality is the big trade-off. Robusta is typically bitter, with low acidity, thick body and best roasted dark. As a result, it's a cheaper option than Arabica coffee making it a favorite base ingredient for many commercial coffee blends. In recent years there's been a growing interest and demand for "Specialty" Robusta - that is, Robusta that's been processed with the same care and attention as Arabica. The cup certainly benefits from it, but there's no shaking the intense bittering, and grainy accents that are unique to Robusta. It's incredibly interesting to taste, and this lot is certainly one of the better Robusta coffees we've picked up. It was dry processed, meaning the whole cherry is dried with the seed still intact. This style of process method can sometimes impart fruit flavors in the cup, though that's not the case here. I think it lends some lightly sweet accents though, which are often lacking in Robusta coffee.