Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise Estate Coffee Beans - The Flavor Profile of the "Little Blue Mountain" Bird of Paradise Coffee Beans

Papua New Guinea is a country that is both familiar and unfamiliar to coffee enthusiasts. Many have heard of Papua New Guinea coffee, but few have actually tried it. Those who have tasted Papua New Guinea coffee often describe it as having a similar feel to "Blue Mountain." To investigate why Papua New Guinea coffee is called Little Blue Mountain, FrontStreet Coffee specifically sourced and launched this Papua New Guinea coffee to explore it together with customers.

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is located east of Indonesia, featuring a typical island climate situated between the equator and 10 degrees south latitude. It has tropical rainforests, volcanic rock, and highland terrain, with elevations ranging from 1200-2500m. The regional taste of Papua New Guinea coffee differs markedly from Indonesian coffee beans' spicy, herbal, and deep flavors, instead exhibiting brightness, sweet-sour notes, and floral-fruity aromas, closer to South American flavors. FrontStreet Coffee believes it's called Little Blue Mountain because Papua New Guinea shares similar island climate characteristics, high altitude, and volcanic soil. Additionally, its coffee bean spread route originated from Jamaica to Papua New Guinea, hence the name Little Blue Mountain, though the flavor profile offers a different experience. FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain offers a very mellow coffee flavor, while FrontStreet Coffee's Papua New Guinea Little Blue Mountain presents a mellow flavor with a hint of fruit acidity.

Coffee Cultivation History in Papua New Guinea

In 1931, Typica was introduced from Jamaica to Papua New Guinea. At that time, Britain had occupied Jamaica for nearly 300 years, and Jamaica's most representative coffee was the Typica variety Blue Mountain coffee. Since Australia had friendly relations with Britain, it was logical for Papua New Guinea to introduce Typica. FrontStreet Coffee uses the name Little Blue Mountain to introduce Papua New Guinea coffee to customers, as the historical reasons provide solid evidence, and the name "Little Blue Mountain" is indeed much more memorable than Papua New Guinea.

In 1950, Bourbon coffee beans were introduced from Kenya. Coincidentally, Kenya was also a British colony at that time. Government encouragement for open cultivation led to significant growth in the coffee industry during the 1970s-80s.

In 1961, after World War II, the western part of New Guinea island, formerly belonging to the Netherlands, declared independence as "West Papua," but within months, it was invaded militarily by Indonesia, which had also gained independence. Indonesia established Irian Jaya Province there. After 2003, it was further divided into Papua and West Papua provinces. Then in 1962, Mundo Novo and Caturra were introduced from Brazil, leading to a great leap forward in Papua New Guinea coffee bean quality.

Papua New Guinea Coffee Industry: From Adversity to Diversity

According to reports translated by Financial Network, in the last century, member countries of the International Coffee Organization (ICO) implemented a quota system for coffee exports. To obtain sufficient coffee, Australia had to purchase large quantities of Papua New Guinea coffee beans, as the territory was still under Australian administration at that time.

In 1975, when Papua New Guinea declared independence and after the ICO abandoned the quota system in the 1980s, Australian coffee importers preferred to source coffee from around the world. From then on, Papua New Guinea's coffee industry began a difficult struggle.

Particularly in the past decade, Papua New Guinea's coffee production has decreased by 22% from approximately 1 million 60kg bags in 2009 to 800,000 bags today. This decline is largely due to aging coffee trees. For more than 30 years since the 1980s in Papua New Guinea, almost no one has chosen to replace old trees, nor has anyone guided them on how to replant. Fortunately, in a continuous support program funded by the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (since the program began in April 2010), more than seven million coffee trees have been replanted or restored. According to the World Bank, many coffee farmers who participated in the first round of replanting have already seen increased yields.

Although Papua New Guinea has incredible soil conditions, rainfall, weather, and climate that could be described as perfect for making delicious coffee, it has always been a challenge for Papua New Guinea to consistently produce large quantities of high-quality coffee for various reasons, mainly because more than 85% of coffee is produced by small farmers. Unlike other coffee-producing countries with many independent farmers working small plots, international buyers find it difficult to purchase consistently quality coffee beans in Papua New Guinea.

The inconsistency in quality stems from difficulties in imparting coffee cultivation knowledge, as Papua New Guinea has as many as 10,000 scattered tribes speaking more than 800 different languages, making it challenging for professional coffee knowledge to spread effectively locally. Additionally, tribal complexity has created land ownership issues. Coffee plots often remain uncultivated due to land transfers or disputes over ownership. Beyond lack of knowledge and resources, small farmers also lack motivation to persist with coffee because they rely more on subsistence agriculture. At the same time, the return on planting coffee is too low for them. For farmers in Papua New Guinea, the vast majority of their cultivation time is spent on food crops, with coffee ranking only second.

The "Papua New Guinea Coffee Market Study" report published in 2019指出 that current extensive government regulations and requirements actually complicate an already difficult business environment. The report states, "By reducing government intervention and more support for the country's coffee industry will be more productive": 1. Expanding agricultural extension services and best practice training; 2. Scientific research on agricultural and economic issues leading to new national programs and policies; 3. Supporting private enterprises that promote business operations domestically and internationally. The research identified three key areas for work hoping to change this industry: supporting women's participation in coffee; promoting business growth, domestic consumption, and international trade; promoting quality from seed to cup.

FrontStreet Coffee · Papua New Guinea · Bird of Paradise

Origin: Papua New Guinea
Estate: Sigri Bird of Paradise Estate
Altitude: 1600-1800m
Processing: Washed
Variety: Typica
Grade: AA

Sigri Bird of Paradise Estate

Papua New Guineans regard the beautiful bird of paradise as a bird of freedom and happiness, a "gift from the spirits." The Sigri Bird of Paradise Estate Typica coffee beans, like bird migration, traveled a long distance from Jamaica Blue Mountain to Papua New Guinea for cultivation, carrying the same lineage as Jamaica Blue Mountain. This Blue Mountain lineage is also why Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise coffee beans receive attention today. FrontStreet Coffee selects each coffee bean hoping for its unique characteristics, not wanting different beans with the same flavor, which is why FrontStreet Coffee spends significant time on bean selection, adjusting roasting parameters, and other steps. A coffee bean may have similarities with other coffee beans, but it must also have distinguishing features.

The estate was established in 1950 and has been operating for over 60 years, making it a pioneer in the local coffee industry. The Bird of Paradise Estate is located in the Waghi Valley of the Western Highlands Province, at approximately 1500 meters altitude in high mountain regions with mineral-rich volcanic soil, cool climate, fertile land, and abundant rainfall. The Bird of Paradise Estate also places great emphasis on ecological protection, refusing to use pesticides and insecticides to protect soil and water sources, caring for the ecosystem and nearby birds. The Bird of Paradise Estate has consistently maintained high standards of cultivation and processing systems over the years.

During the harvest season from April to September each year, only fully ripe coffee cherries can be hand-picked, ensuring a perfect balance of acidity and sweetness in the coffee berries. At the Bird of Paradise Estate, cupping is conducted daily to ensure the plantation provides customers with consistently excellent quality coffee. This has made the Bird of Paradise Estate a classic in the world of specialty coffee. As mentioned earlier, FrontStreet Coffee chose this Bird of Paradise Estate coffee bean because of the estate's strict production chain, which ensures the quality of the coffee beans.

Coffee Bean Variety: Typica

Typica offers elegant flavors but has weaker physical constitution, low disease resistance, and is susceptible to leaf rust disease. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the most distinctive feature of Typica coffee trees is their bronze-colored terminal leaves, which some call "red-topped coffee." Typica beans are larger, forming pointed cones or slender pointed shapes, different from the round-bodied beans of the Bourbon variety. Typica coffee has its characteristic subtle, clean flavor and balanced characteristics, with high flavor clarity.

Coffee Bean Processing Method

After harvesting mature, fully red coffee cherries, they are sent to the estate's own washing station for processing. The local washing method in Papua New Guinea differs from the washing methods used in Central and South America.

A three-stage washing fermentation is employed, with each soaking lasting approximately 24 hours and using fresh water to control the coffee flavor. After washing, the green beans have their outer hulls removed and undergo various grading processes, such as AA, AB, PB (peaberries), etc. This meticulous post-processing method brings bright and delicate fruity acidity to the coffee itself, with a clean and long-lasting sweet aftertaste. FrontStreet Coffee has found that coffee beans from regions with strict grading systems all share a common characteristic: uniform bean size and fewer defective beans. In this case, roasting results in even coloring and much cleaner taste.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using medium roasting, as Typica is a low-density green bean. To highlight its inherent refreshing acidity and fruity aroma, emphasis is placed on heat adjustment after the first crack.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a Kono dripper because it has few ribs located at the bottom, which allows the filter paper to fit closely against the dripper to restrict airflow, thereby slowing water flow and increasing water-coffee contact time. This allows for more extraction through immersion, enhancing the rich mouthfeel. Water temperature is set at 88°C, which is relatively low for brewing, helping to avoid excessive extraction of undesirable flavors from the coffee beans during the brewing process, as deeper roasted coffee beans tend to have more undesirable flavors.

Dose: 15g
Ratio: 1:15
Grind size: Coarse sugar (75% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction: 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then continue pouring in small circular motions to 125g, pause, and when the water level drops to just reveal the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. (Timing starts from the bloom) Extraction time is 2 minutes to 2 minutes 10 seconds.

Brewing flavor of FrontStreet Coffee's Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise Estate: nuts, cocoa, soft fruit acidity, caramel aftertaste, slight smoky notes, with overall balanced flavor profile.

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473