Midnight Flyer is new in at VENDUM Coffee. It comes from Uganda, and on the label you’ll find blackcurrant, candied citrus, juicy and sweet. I’ve roasted it to a medium level. It’s one of those coffees that’s easy to like, and it has a proper story behind the name.
Where it’s from
Midnight Flyer is grown in the Kasese District of Uganda. It comes from Agri Evolve, who work with around 2,000 smallholder farmers. They started in 2016 with a single collection point, built on paying farmers fairly and promptly. Today that’s grown into the Nyabirongo Processing Station, one of the largest coffee facilities in Uganda.
They do other work too. Over 130,000 tree seedlings are planted every year, and more than 2,400 households have been given energy-efficient stoves.
This coffee is washed, which means the fruit’s taken off before the beans are dried. In Uganda, the traditional way is to dry the beans inside the fruit, so washing a lot was a bit of a risk for Agri Evolve.
Then the trucks carrying the cherries were delayed. With over-fermenting getting closer by the hour, the drivers set off in the middle of the night and raced down a rain-soaked mud road to reach the washing station in time. They made it, and the coffee turned out great. It’s been called Midnight Flyer ever since.
The roast and how to drink it
I’ve gone for a medium roast. That keeps the blackcurrant and citrus clear and lets the sweetness come through.
It’s at home in a few places:
- Filter and pour-over: the fruit shows up clearly here, so this is where I’d start.
- Cafetière: you get a rounder, fuller cup.
- Espresso: it works if you like a fruity shot rather than a heavy, chocolatey one.
I roast Midnight Flyer to order in Plumstead, so it reaches you fresh, with the roast date on the bag. Have a look at Midnight Flyer and see what you think.
