Uganda NKG Bloom Silverback is, excitingly, the first Arabica offering from the Uganda NKG Bloom initiative! We’re delighted to offer washed and natural-processed options.

This coffee comes to us from Mbale, a commercial center in southeastern Uganda at the foot of the extinct Mount Elgon volcano. More specifically, it represents the work of 1,098 members of the Bulambuli Kwigaite Coffee Cooperative. These producers are enrolled in NKG Bloom, a global initiative to ensure the long-term viability of green coffee supplies by providing smallholder farmers with the opportunities and resources they need to run their farms at full potential and enter a pathway out of poverty.

Producers contributing to Uganda NKG Bloom Silverback have an average farm size of about 0.45 acres. At 1,500-3,050 meters above sea level, they grow SL14, KP162, SL28 and KP423 varieties. Lower altitude areas begin harvesting in September, while higher altitude regions begin in November and continue through February.

Throughout the harvest season, farmers deliver their coffee to the washing station. The cherry is assessed to meet quality standards and is subsequently weighed and processed. First, the cherry is floated, in order to remove any low-density or damaged beans, as well as any leaves or sticks. For the washed process, the cherry is then machine pulped, fermented 12 to 72 hours and washed. Finally, the coffee is moved to raised beds where it is dried for 21 to 28 days, depending upon the weather.

Silverback Inspiration

This distinctive green coffee is named in honor of Uganda’s most imposing yet gentle inhabitants — the silverback gorillas. These majestic creatures are the leaders of their family groups, known for their intelligence, empathy and, of course, the striking silver-grey fur that adorns their backs as they mature. Despite their formidable size (they’re the largest living primates and can grow up to 500 pounds), these gorillas maintain a primarily vegetarian diet.

Silverback gorillas also display remarkable intelligence, as evidenced by their use of tools, complex communication skills and social problem-solving abilities. They are also known for their learning capabilities, which includes the use of sign language, and exhibit strong memory and self-recognition, reflecting a deep cognitive and emotional complexity.