Uganda Muki Fruity Natural

About Uganda Muki Fruity Natural

Norman Mukuru began his career as an agronomist in his home region of Kasese, near Uganda’s western border, before further training as an engineer pulled him deeper into coffee. He was recruited by Great Lakes Coffee, then one of Uganda’s largest coffee exporters, first to build collection and processing systems in western Uganda and later to replicate that work on Mt. Elgon in the east. Norman later struck out on his own, carrying forward both the operational discipline and regional network he had helped build.

What began as a toll-drying facility outside Mbale evolved into The Coffee Yard: a centralized hub for cherry collection and careful, value-added processing at scale. Security concerns, the need for greater standardization, and the practical advantages of faster payment eventually pushed the model away from rented drying space and toward direct cherry purchasing. Today Norman runs the operation through a network of lead farmers and community collectors, backed by agronomists, QC staff, and a seasonally expanding workforce.

Set about half an hour up Mt. Elgon from Mbale, The Coffee Yard now includes raised beds, patios, fermentation tanks, and a Penagos pulper. Processing emphasizes precision, but the facility is as much a workplace as it is a community, with housing, shared meals, and the family atmosphere Norman has built around the work. His independence, organizational rigor, and appetite for challenge make The Coffee Yards a uniquely self-directed force on Mt. Elgon.

Norman Mukuru

Norman has built a formidable reputation for high quality naturals with a diverse range of cup profiles. Muki Fruity is a delicate microlot tailored to a more gentle Natural flavor profile. This coffee features mango, cherry liqueur, dark chocolate, tamarind, and balsamic notes, and winey acidity. The microlot was named by combining the names of the strong team, Norman Mukuru and Maria Kirya. Maria, Head of Quality at Norman's, has been with the company since its inception in 2018 and brings years of experience, having worked in coffee since 2009. She is fundamental to coffee taste profile development. 

• Country: Uganda
• Producers: 300 smallholders having 20-200 coffee trees
• Region: Mount Elgon, Eastern Uganca
• Altitude: 1,500 meters
• Varieties:  SL-14, SL-28, Nyasaland
• Processing: Full Natural
• Drying: Slowly on raised beds, minimum of 21 days

Only about 20% of coffee produced in Uganda is Arabica and almost all of that is produced on or around Mount Elgon.  The varieties here are interesting: Nyasaland, SL-14 and SL-28. Nyasaland are tall trees that trace back to Jamaica Typica that made its way to Uganda about 1910. It is also known locally as Bugisu and is know for having some florality, being bright and sweet, plus a smooth finish. Both of the "SL" varieties were developed by Scott Labs in the 1930s but they differ from one another.  SL-14 is another Typica like the Nyasaland while SL-28 is a Bourbon. The former was developed for somewhat lesser elevations while SL-18 for the highest.

Cup Characteristics: Aroma of butterscotch and caramel. Potent with some florals. Flavors of guava, banana, prune, starfruit, as well as some stone fruit.

Roasting Notes: Natural processed coffees tend to roast faster than their washed counterparts, and produce more chaff. Roast slowly to develop a fuller flavor profile, but pull before 2nd crack. On a Behmor P2 or P3 is a nice starting point.