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STRAWBERRY, RUM, RAISIN & CHOCOLATE
Don’t overlook this coffee, it really punches.
This might be the fourth or fifth year we’ve had something from the Coffee Gardens, this is the best one yet, without doubt. I love this. Normally we get a washed lot, this time we’ve gone for a natural and it so tasty. Silky sweet texture in the cup with ripe strawberry and then a gentle funk of rum and raisin. I had to do a double take when I first cupped it as I was not expecting this. It reminded me of a natural from Colombia, not the profile I was expecting. It’s not an outrageously challenging natural, no fermented notes, just a sweet and layered cup of fruit. Roasted light/medium it should brew well in all methods.
The Coffee Gardens Project
Norman Mukuru is a coffee guru with decades of experience. In the flatlands approaching the foothills of Mt. Elgon he has established The Coffee Yard, a huge centre for coffee drying with a formidable reputation for high quality naturals with a diverse range of cup profiles curated for individual clients' specific preferences.
The Coffee Yard is a new commercial partner to The Coffee Gardens who are supporting Norman Mukuru and his team to bring his coffees to Falcon Specialty to the UK and EU. This relationship is now in its second year.
The Coffee Gardens have known Norman for a number of years and built a relationship on sharing knowledge and learning from each other around processing and creating farmer traceabilty programs. It is based off this history and trust that they have been able to develop the relationship to now export Nornan's coffee.
Based in the foothills of Mount Elgon souring coffee from the districts of Sironko, Mbale, Bulambuli and Kapchorwa Norman established The Coffee Yard which is a huge center for receiving and drying coffee. Norman has extensive experience in coffee working for nearly 20 years in the in and he has been producing naturals since 2018 often tweaking his processes to find the profiles that his clients have been looking for.
All farmers are registered with The Coffee Yard and are engaged through an established network of lead farmers and buying agents. Data is collected to ensure compliance with standards such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Over the past several years, Norman and his team have trained this network of farmers to meet various internationally accredited standards, including Rainforest Alliance Certification.