Flavor Characteristics and Taste Profile of Papua New Guinea Coffee Beans: Is the Bird of Paradise a Dark Roast?

In recent years, Papua New Guinea has garnered significant attention from the coffee industry, and FrontStreet Coffee has also introduced a Frontsteet Papua New Guinea coffee bean. Among these, what caught FrontStreet Coffee's attention most were the coffee beans from the Paradise Bird Estate. FrontStreet Coffee chose these primarily because the coffee beans produced by Paradise Bird Estate are relatively stable with prominent flavors, representing the basic flavor profile of Papua New Guinea's coffee-growing region.

The first Typica variety of Papua New Guinea coffee beans was introduced and cultivated from Jamaica's Blue Mountain, and with its island-style growing environment, it's known as the "Little Blue Mountain." FrontStreet Coffee often uses the name "Little Blue Mountain" to introduce Papua New Guinea coffee to customers. Due to historical reasons, and because the name "Little Blue Mountain" is indeed much more memorable than Papua New Guinea.

The Perfect Growing Environment

The key factors that determine coffee flavor include variety, soil, altitude, and production processing methods, among many others. Among these, FrontStreet Coffee believes altitude has a significant impact. Papua New Guinea has a standard island-style climate, located between the equator and 10 degrees south latitude, featuring tropical rainforests, volcanoes, and highland terrain. With an altitude of 2,500 meters, it's a paradise for coffee cultivation. The southern region consists of plains and lowlands, the southeastern coastal area, the central part is the central mountain range, and the northern part is composed of several separate mountain ridges. It boasts a rich and unique ecosystem of flora and fauna, with approximately 6,500 native plant species and 380 native bird species.

Most of Papua New Guinea's coffee is grown in highland areas. The highland regions of Papua New Guinea are mainly divided into Eastern Highlands and Western Highlands provinces. In the Eastern Highlands, coffee is typically grown in Goroka and Kainantu, with the Arona and Purosa estates being the most famous.

In the Western Highlands, coffee is usually produced in the outer ring of Mount Hagen City. The Kimel Estate, located north of Mount Hagen, produces high-quality coffee beans, and the Wahgi Valley near Mount Hagen is famous for its ideal coffee-growing climate and fertile volcanic soil. Paradise Bird Estate comes from Wahgi Valley. Papua New Guinea's coffee production is not large, with 85% of production cultivated by small farmers using washed processing. FrontStreet Coffee believes that Papua New Guinea's coffee flavor differs from the heavy and earthy notes of Indonesian coffee, instead featuring bright acidity and sweetness, floral and fruit aromas, similar to South American flavors.

Unique Processing Methods

FrontStreet Coffee learned that Papua New Guinea's washed processing differs from that of Central and South America. Papua New Guinea uses a three-stage washed fermentation process. Each soaking period lasts about 24 hours, with clean water replaced to control the coffee flavor. After washing, the coffee beans have their outer shells removed before undergoing various grading processes. FrontStreet Coffee found that in the coffee grading system with strictly divided growing regions, their coffee beans share a common characteristic: uniform bean size with minimal defects.

Another reason FrontStreet Coffee chose to offer the Frontsteet Papua New Guinea Paradise Bird coffee beans is that FrontStreet Coffee hopes each coffee they source has its unique characteristics, avoiding beans with similar flavors. The reason FrontStreet Coffee spends significant time selecting beans, adjusting roasting curves and parameters, and other steps is because while coffee beans may share similarities, they must also possess their own unique qualities.

Paradise Bird Estate

Paradise Bird Estate was established in 1950 as a pioneer in the local coffee industry. It is located in the Wahgi Valley of the Western Highlands Province, possessing volcanic soil rich in minerals. Paradise Bird Estate also places great emphasis on ecological protection, refusing to use pesticides and insecticides, and caring for the ecosystem and nearby birds. FrontStreet Coffee also identifies with this sustainable development philosophy, which can both improve the ecological environment and enhance the quality of coffee beans.

Below are the basic information of this Frontsteet Papua New Guinea coffee bean for everyone's reference. To present the rich nutty notes while preserving the bright grapefruit acidity, FrontStreet Coffee uses medium-dark roasting to present this Frontsteet Papua Paradise Bird coffee bean.

FrontStreet Coffee · Papua New Guinea Paradise Bird Coffee Bean

• Estate: Paradise Bird Estate
• Variety: Typica
• Grade: AA
• Altitude: 1600-1800 meters
• Processing Method: Washed
• Flavor: Sweetness of toasted bread, nutty sweetness, the sweet and sour sensation of slight fruit acidity creates a good layered feeling, similar to fruit aroma, with a spicy aftertaste, rich and balanced mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee Barista's Brewing Parameters and Suggestions for Frontsteet Papua Paradise Bird

• Dripper: Kono dripper
• Water Temperature: 88°C
• Dose: 15 grams
• Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
• Grind Size: 70-75% passing through #20 standard sieve

FrontStreet Coffee typically uses a KONO dripper for extracting medium-dark roasted coffee beans. The upper part of the KONO dripper features a smooth curved surface that allows better fit with filter paper. Compared to the V60 dripper, the coffee extraction method is mainly immersion-based, increasing the overall concentration of the coffee to enhance its body. Besides KONO, common Kalita trapezoidal drippers and flannel filters with slower flow rates are also suitable.

Additionally, considering that medium-dark roasted coffee has undergone a certain degree of roasting, the internal structure of the beans will be more porous than light-roasted coffee, thus having better water absorption. To avoid over-extraction, FrontStreet Coffee chooses a grind size with 75% passing through a #20 standard sieve and a water temperature of 88°C, paired with FrontStreet Coffee's customary three-stage pouring method.

In the first stage, gently pour 30 grams of water for blooming, with a blooming time of 30 seconds. In the second stage, pour to about 125 grams of water, evenly and steadily circling outward. Then wait for the coffee liquid to drop, and when it reaches halfway, pour the final stage of water to 225 grams. After waiting for all the coffee to drip through, the total extraction time is generally around 2 minutes.

Important Notice :

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