Uganda

NagasireCulture Washed Education Lot

$20.50

Notes of Dried Fruit, Chocolate, Graham Cracker

Highlighting the impact of experimental processing approaches, this Education Lot from Uganda features an innovative technique developed by producer Pranoy Thipaiah of Kerehaklu Estate in India. As a contributing producer to our Bhadra Foundational Partnership, we were thrilled to hear that Cahoots Coffee in Uganda invited Pranoy to consult on their inaugural harvest last fall, and the results are equally exciting. Compared to the traditionally washed Nagasire lot (also included as part of this release) we find a touch more brightness and flavor clarity in the cup. Aromatically there is a notable dried fruit character, reminiscent of golden raisin, followed by additional flavors of stone fruit, milk chocolate, and graham cracker in the cup.

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Nagasire Education Lot

$19.50

Lot:

Nagasire Culture Washed

Named after the Nagasire trading center near Kapchorwa town, on Mt. Elgon, this particular lot is composed of deliveries from multiple smallholder farmers who deliver cherry to Kapyoma washing station for processing. Similar to our Kapyoma lot, it contains a mix of SL varieties and a small amount of nyasaland variety as well

Cahoots Coffee
Kapchorwa, Uganda
Field Blend
Culture Washed
1600–2150 masl
Notes
Dried Fruit, Chocolate, Graham Cracker
February 07, 2025
June 12, 2025
Release Date
July 29, 2025
Volume
660 lbs
$4.20 /lb
$5.90 /lb
Experimental Processing

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Experimental Processing: Pranoy’s 'Culture Washed' Approach

Those at all familiar with Pranoy Thipaiah of Kerehaklu Estate will know that he is scrupulously detailed and forward thinking when it comes to coffee processing and coffee production in general. Naturally, when we heard that Pranoy was involved in the processing of a selection of inaugural lots for Cahoots Coffee in Uganda last fall, we jumped at the opportunity to try them. We’ve tasted the results of Pranoy’s ‘Culture Washed’ approach applied to his Kerehaklu Estate coffees in India, but tasting them applied to an entirely different origin in East Africa is a unique opportunity. Additionally, we were able to purchase a portion of the same lot that had been traditionally washed, as a way to comparatively taste the impact of Pranoy’s technique.

Pranoy Thipaiah of Kerehaklu Estate

Pranoy’s ‘Culture Washed’ method begins before the cherries ultimately being processed are even picked, with the creation of a starter culture made by submerging pulped coffee (parchment) in water, resulting in a fermentation medium that's rich with active native bacteria and yeasts. Once established, the liquid is separated from the parchment used to establish this starter culture, and reintroduced to the fermentation tank containing the freshly pulped parchment of the lot selected for this special treatment. Designed to jump start fermentation, the pulped coffee is allowed to ferment with the starter culture for 18 hours before being washed in grading channels, and dried for roughly three weeks.

While the introduction of starter cultures to the fermentation process has become more prevalent in coffee production in recent years, it more commonly involves the use of commercially available yeasts. The fact that Pranoy took the step of creating a starter culture borne of the microorganisms native to where the coffee itself was grown, is a testament to his commitment to the potential of these methods, not simply their novelty. More than that, it’s another small part of a more ambitious and holistic approach to coffee production that aims to truly center, preserve, and present a "place."