Papua New Guinea Coffee Region: Brewing Flavor Characteristics of the Paradise Bird Coffee Known as Little Blue Mountain

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Papua New Guinea: The "Little Blue Mountain" Coffee

Papua New Guinea is an island nation located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The first Typica variety in Papua New Guinea was introduced and cultivated from Jamaica's Blue Mountain. It also shares the same island-type growing environment, hence earning the nickname "Little Blue Mountain" coffee. Does Little Blue Mountain coffee truly possess the balanced sweet-sour-bitter profile and rich coffee flavor of Jamaica's Blue Mountain? Driven by curiosity, FrontStreet Coffee acquired a batch of coffee beans from Papua New Guinea and conducted comprehensive research through roasting, cupping, and brewing.

Coffee Growing Geography

New Guinea is an island nation in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, bordered by Indonesia to the west and the Solomon Islands to the east. The western half of New Guinea Island belongs to Indonesia, while the eastern half is Papua New Guinea. The local island-type climate is characterized by high temperatures and humidity year-round. The average annual temperature in the plains is about 24°C, with temperatures decreasing rapidly as altitude increases. Winter brings heavy rainfall. With tropical rainforest volcanic rock and plateau terrain, and elevations between 1200-2500 meters, it is a paradise for coffee cultivation.

Papua New Guinea, with its predominantly highland terrain, cultivates several coffee varieties. Coffee is grown at altitudes above 1300 meters using organic and shade-growing methods. These various cultivation advantages result in coffee beans with rich body and flavors of nuts and fruits. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the regional flavor profile of FrontStreet Coffee's Papua New Guinea coffee differs from Indonesian coffee beans found elsewhere in Asia, which typically display spicy, herbal, and deep notes. Instead, Papua New Guinea coffee offers bright acidity, sweet-sour balance, and floral and fruit aromas, making it more similar to South American flavors.

Coffee Cultivation Model

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 75% of coffee production comes from small local farms. Many farms have cleared land in forest areas, with some located deep in forests, nearly isolated from the outside world. The country's coffee is grown at high elevations of 1300-1800 meters, ensuring high quality. Although some coffee is grown in lowland areas, production is relatively minimal. Most locally grown coffee relies on natural conditions for growth, as transporting fertilizers and pesticides to farms presents numerous challenges and high costs.

Coffee Cultivation History

In 1892, Dutch sailors began introducing coffee to Papua New Guinea's Rigo region for cultivation.

By 1908, Papua New Guinea already had 180 acres of land planted with coffee.

In 1931, Typica was introduced to Papua New Guinea from Jamaica. At that time, Britain had occupied Jamaica for nearly 300 years, and Jamaica's most representative coffee was the Typica variety of 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 FrontStreet Coffee's Papua New Guinea coffee to customers. After all, the historical reasons are well-founded, and the name "Little Blue Mountain" is indeed much easier to remember than Papua New Guinea.

In 1950, Bourbon coffee varieties were introduced from Kenya. Coincidentally, Kenya was also a British colony at that time. Government encouragement for cultivation led to significant growth in the coffee industry during the 1970s-1980s.

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 was invaded by Indonesia, which had also gained independence. Indonesia established Irian Jaya Province there. After 2003, it was reorganized into Papua and West Papua provinces.

In 1962, Mundo Novo and Caturra were introduced from Brazil, marking a major leap forward in Papua New Guinea coffee quality.

The 1975 frost destroyed most of Brazil's coffee crops but stimulated Papua New Guinea's coffee development. The government implemented a program that funded rural areas to establish approximately 20-hectare coffee plantations. This measure indeed increased coffee cultivation's penetration in the local economy. By 1990, annual production had reached 1 million bags.

Coffee Growing Regions

Papua New Guinea's specialty coffee beans are primarily grown in the Wahigi Valley and Sigri Estate in the Western Highlands; Arona, Kimel, and Arokare Estates in the Eastern Highlands; with Goroka being the most famous. Due to different coffee varieties from Indonesia and higher altitudes than Sumatra, plus the country's coffee beans being processed using the washed method, FrontStreet Coffee believes that FrontStreet Coffee's Papua New Guinea coffee's regional flavor characteristics differ significantly from Indonesian coffee beans' spicy, herbal, and deep notes. Instead, it offers bright acidity, sweet-sour balance, and floral and fruit aromas, making it more similar to South American flavors.

Famous Papua New Guinea Estates

Sigri Estate in the Western Highlands has introduced many people to Papua New Guinea coffee beans. Papua New Guineans regard the beautiful bird of paradise as a symbol of freedom and happiness—a "divine gift." The FrontStreet Coffee Sigri Paradise Bird Estate Typica coffee beans that FrontStreet Coffee acquired, like bird migration, traveled a long distance from Jamaica's Blue Mountain to Papua New Guinea for cultivation, carrying the same ancestral lineage as Jamaica's Blue Mountain.

Sigri Paradise Bird Estate

Located in the Wahgi Valley of the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG), it has been established for over 60 years. The estate was founded in 1950 as a pioneer in local coffee cultivation. Its specialty coffee is renowned in German, New Zealand/Australian, Japanese, and North American markets. The estate has an average altitude of 1600 meters, with the cool climate of Arusha (introduced from Tanzania) and abundant rainfall providing excellent growing conditions for coffee trees. Paradise Bird Estate maintains extremely consistent green bean quality each season.

Founded in 1950, it has operated for over 60 years as a pioneer in the local coffee industry. Paradise Bird Estate is located in the Waghi Valley of the Western Highlands Province, at approximately 1500 meters altitude in high mountain regions with volcanic soil rich in minerals, cool climate, fertile soil, and abundant rainfall. Paradise Bird Estate also places great emphasis on ecological protection. To protect soil and water sources, it refuses to use pesticides and insecticides, caring for the ecosystem and nearby birds. Paradise Bird Estate has consistently maintained high standards of cultivation and processing systems. During the harvest season from April to September each year, only fully ripe red coffee cherries can be hand-picked, ensuring perfect balance between acidity and sweetness in the coffee berries. At Paradise Bird Estate, cupping is conducted daily to ensure the plantation provides customers with consistently excellent quality coffee. This has made Paradise Bird Estate a classic in the world of specialty coffee. As mentioned earlier, FrontStreet Coffee selected FrontStreet Coffee's Papua New Guinea Paradise Bird Estate coffee beans precisely because of the estate's strict production chain, which ensures coffee bean quality.

Kimel Estate

Founded by an Australian in 1974, it is located in the Western Highlands near the Goroka Mt Hagen Wahgi Valley mountain range. The land is owned by the local indigenous Opais people, operating as a cooperative estate. The estate covers 620 hectares and employs 432 people. It has established schools and medical centers to care for employees and their families nearby. Due to fertile volcanic soil, cold alpine microclimate, and lush vegetation of primary forests, it uses Albizias and Grevilleas shade trees for cultivation. Good management practices and environmentally friendly cultivation methods that maintain natural ecosystems include organic fertilization and reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation. Due to quality control and effective management, Kimel Estate has become one of Papua New Guinea's best-known coffees.

Located in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea near the Kimel River Valley, like many large farms/estates, it has its own dedicated washing processing plant. However, it is actually an estate jointly owned by numerous independent small coffee farmers from the surrounding Opais ethnic group. In a sense, this is a private cooperative. Due to excellent growing conditions and the processing plant's stable quality control processes, the produced coffee has lively brightness while retaining a considerable degree of Papua New Guinea coffee's unique flavor characteristics. Another special feature is the diversity of coffee varieties cultivated at Kimel. In terms of flavor, it exhibits some spicy notes, nuts, sugarcane, with sweet and refreshing taste, and a creamy smooth texture.

Coffee Varieties

Papua New Guinea primarily cultivates Typica. Typica has elegant flavor but relatively weak constitution, low disease resistance, and is susceptible to leaf rust. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the most distinctive characteristic of Typica coffee trees is their bronze-colored terminal leaves, leading some to call it "red-topped coffee." Typica beans are larger, with a pointed conical or slender pointed shape, different from the round shape of Bourbon variety beans. Typica coffee has its characteristic clean and subtle flavor, as well as balanced characteristics, with high flavor clarity.

Coffee Processing Methods

Papua New Guinea coffee primarily uses washed processing, resulting in brighter flavor profiles with more fruit acidity, similar to Central American coffee flavors. Large estates and plantations typically have their own washing processing plants, while smaller individual coffee farmers can better control the output quality and flavor expression.

After harvesting mature red coffee cherries, they are sent to the estate's own washing processing plant for processing. Papua New Guinea's local washed processing differs from Central and South American washed processing methods. It uses three-stage washed fermentation, with each soaking lasting about 24 hours, and clean water is replaced to control coffee flavor. After washing, the parchment is removed from the beans for various grading steps, such as AA, AB, PB (peaberries), etc. This meticulous post-processing method brings bright and delicate fruit acidity to the coffee itself, with a clean and lingering sweet taste.

Coffee Bean Grading System

Papua New Guinea coffee grades: Total of 12 levels, grading criteria include:

1. Bean size

2. Total defect equivalent per kg

3. Bean shape

4. Raw bean color

5. Odor

6. Roasting aspects

7. Cup quality

By defect grading: Grade, bean screen size, total of 12 levels (applicable only to Arabica)

AA >18 screen

A 17 screen

AB >16 screen (50%)

B >16 screen

C >15 screen

PB 11-14 screen

X mixed

E >19 screen

PSC >15mm

Y1 mixed

Y2 mixed

T mixed

To illustrate with the most notable specialty grades AA and A:

(1) AA and A grade coffees belong to specialty coffee grades, mainly from larger estates.

For AA grade, bean size is larger than 18 screen, bean shape is oval flat beans. Defect count: maximum 10 defects per kilogram. Raw bean appearance is green with slight blue tint. Raw bean flavor must be clean, roasted flavor must be clean and smooth. Cup quality must be excellent (Fine Cup).

(2) A grade size is larger than 17 screen, cupping must reach at least GTF level (Good to Fine), meaning good to excellent taste. Other defect counts and raw bean conditions are the same as AA.

FrontStreet Coffee - Papua New Guinea Paradise Bird Estate

Origin: Papua New Guinea

Estate: Sigri Paradise Bird Estate

Altitude: 1600-1800m

Processing: Washed

Variety: Typica

Grade: AA

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee recommends medium roasting because Typica varieties have low-density green beans. To highlight the inherent refreshing acidity and fruit aromas, focus is placed on heat adjustment after the first crack. Set roaster temperature to 170°C when loading beans, with damper at 3 and heat at 140°C. Return temperature point at 1'36". When temperature reaches 140°C, open damper to 4. At 6'25", temperature reaches 151°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, dehydration complete, temperature 176°C, heat reduced to 110, damper at 4.

At 180°C, heat reduced to 90, bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toasted bread aroma obviously transitions to coffee aroma, can be defined as prelude to first crack. At this point, heat rises to 183.5°C, first crack begins at 10'08", damper fully open, at 188°C reduce heat to 60°C, damper fully open (heat adjustment must be very careful, not too small to stop cracking sounds, control temperature rise rate after first crack between 6°C). First crack development time 3'00", unload at 198.5°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

Through cupping FrontStreet Coffee's Paradise Bird coffee beans and comparing them with FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain, FrontStreet Coffee's Paradise Bird coffee beans have a light spicy flavor compared to FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain. Their sweet-sour-bitter balance is somewhat similar to FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain, but not as rich as FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: Kono

Dose: 15g, Water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: BG6w (75% pass-through rate on #20 sieve)

Water temperature: 89°C

*Regarding grind size, FrontStreet Coffee determines this through sieve testing. Based on Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) recommendations for pour-over coffee, FrontStreet Coffee combines practical operation verification. Using different grind sizes for brewing produces significantly different results, and each coffee bean variety requires different grind sizes—this is the significance of sieve testing. If you don't have a sieve tester at home, FrontStreet Coffee suggests observing flow rate to determine: if water flows too quickly, the grind is too coarse; if water flows too slowly, the grind is too fine.

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, also called three-stage brewing: Use 30g of water for 30-second bloom. When continuing to pour water in a small circular motion to 125g, segment the pour. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. Wait for the water level to drop and is about to expose the coffee bed, then remove the dripper (timing starts from bloom). Extraction time is 2'00".

FrontStreet Coffee Papua New Guinea Paradise Bird Estate Brewing Flavor:

Sweetness of toasted bread, nutty sweetness, slight fruit acidity creating pleasant layered complexity, the spicy sweetness in the aftertaste is quite special. Tastes rich and balanced, with sweet notes and bright acidity, having fruit-like aromas.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, ID: kaixinguoguo0925

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