This month's NerdRoast: Uganda Kirundo
Hi everyone,
I want to start out by thanking you for continuing to be part of my NerdRoaster project. I really enjoy this and I’m so grateful that you’re a part of it. I’m trying to grow this, so if you have ideas on how I can do a better job of marketing, please let me know. I’m open to all suggestions.
💬 A Quick Note on Coffee Prices
Since launching NerdRoaster in August 2021, I’ve watched green coffee prices nearly triple. Despite that, I’ve never raised subscription prices - and I’m not looking to change that now.
This project has always been about sharing exceptional coffees and learning together, not turning a profit. I don’t make money on NerdRoaster (and never have although I’d love to someday!), but I do take pride in getting creative with sourcing - finding beautiful beans that balance quality, traceability and affordability.
Just wanted to share a bit of what goes on behind the scenes. Thanks for being part of this little experiment - your support makes it possible to keep roasting and exploring each month.
☕ Featured Origin: Uganda Kirundo
This month, we travel beyond the familiar highlands of Latin America to the misty, emerald slopes of the Rwenzori Mountains in western Uganda. The Kirundo Washed is a polished, high-elevation coffee, grown at up to 2,000 meters above sea level (MASL) and produced by smallholder farmers cultivating volcanic soil with centuries of agricultural tradition.
Refined, rich, and luxuriously smooth, this bean offers an exotic experience in your morning cup, with layers that reward slow sipping.
🌱 The Origin
Known as the “Mountains of the Moon,” Uganda’s Rwenzori range is home to some of East Africa’s most striking coffee terroir. The Kirundo lot comes from the Kyondo area in Kasese District, where the elevation, climate, and soil combine to produce coffees with clarity and depth. Harvested by hand and delivered to centralized wet mills, the cherries are processed with care to preserve their vibrant character.
🧼 Processing
This is a washed coffee, meticulously handled at origin:
Cherries are handpicked and sorted for ripeness
Then depulped, fermented, and washed clean
Finally sun-dried on raised beds for consistent airflow and drying
The result is a clean, fruit-driven profile with elegance and balance - a showcase of how washed processing highlights East African clarity.
☕ Tasting Notes
In the cup, expect rich caramel sweetness, bright red apple acidity, and a black cherry finish that lingers with just a touch of tartness. It’s both comforting and lively, like a well-structured dessert wine with a juicy edge.
Smooth, layered, and unmistakably refined.
🎯 For the Flavor Curious
Uganda Kirundo is perfect for those looking to venture beyond the usual, a washed African coffee with sweetness and body to rival your favorite Latin American origins, but with a fruit complexity that’s distinctly East African.
It shines in pour-overs, excels in Kalita Waves, and offers surprising depth as a single-origin espresso. A luxury-tier origin for the thoughtful drinker.
Thank you – I hope you enjoy every sip.
Tony