Nav: Home > Coffee >

Why is Papua New Guinea Coffee Called the 'Little Blue Mountain'? What Similarities Does It Share with Jamaica's Coffee Emperor?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Blue Mountain coffee, as the coffee emperor of the last century, carries a reputation that symbolizes not only preciousness but also represents the pinnacle of quality and flavor. During that era, beans from a particular region were honored with the title 'Little Blue Mountain.' It's worth noting that to be mentioned in the same breath as the emperor of beans

The Little Blue Mountain: Papua New Guinea Coffee

As the "coffee emperor" of the last century, Blue Mountain coffee's reputation represents not only prestige but also the best in quality and flavor. During that era, beans from one particular region earned the title of "Little Blue Mountain." To receive the same designation as the emperor of coffees was quite an achievement! And that coffee comes from Papua New Guinea in Oceania!

Oceania · Papua New Guinea

Whether we talk about Oceania or Papua New Guinea, for most coffee enthusiasts, these are relatively fresh terms in the coffee world. Looking at FrontStreet Coffee's menu board, you'll notice that most coffees we drink today come from Africa, Asia, or Central and South America across the ocean. Oceania and Papua New Guinea remain largely unfamiliar territories. So today, let's take a slight detour and start with the country of Papua New Guinea itself!

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has most of its territory on the eastern half of New Guinea Island (accounting for 85% of the island, with the western half belonging to Indonesia). Besides New Guinea Island, Papua New Guinea's territory (too long!!! let's call it Papua for short!) also includes over 600 islands of various sizes, including Bougainville Island and the Bismarck Archipelago!

When mentioning Papua, we must discuss its unique climate. Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Papua's soil is mostly mineral-rich volcanic soil with abundant rainfall throughout the year. It can truly be called a paradise for coffee cultivation. Of course, it's not just coffee—for most plants, it's a paradise. Because of this, Papua's flora and fauna ecosystem is exceptionally unique.

To date, Papua is home to approximately 6,500 native plant species and 380 native bird species. The island also has great ethnic diversity (despite having only 7 million people), with over 800 languages having developed.

Papua New Guinea Coffee

Coffee cultivation in Papua began as early as the late 19th century. Coffee plants introduced by Dutch sailors were planted in Papua's soil, and in such suitable conditions, coffee flourished. By the 20th century, coffee had become Papua's commercial crop, and within just a few years, Papua's coffee cultivation area had reached 180 acres!

Papua's coffee is predominantly grown by small farmers, mostly distributed in high-altitude mountain regions between 1,200-1,800 meters. This is an ideal altitude range for coffee growth, resulting in consistently high-quality coffee. Among this abundant coffee, 95% is of the Arabica variety. As time passed, Papua coffee began a new chapter in its coffee journey.

Papua New Guinea Coffee's New Title – "Little Blue Mountain"

Fast forward to 1932, when Papua introduced Typica from Jamaica for cultivation. As we all know, Blue Mountain coffee is also of the Typica variety, and this was a game-changer! A variety sharing the same lineage as the coffee emperor was planted in Papua's soil, and before long, Typica became Papua's primary cultivated variety. Not only do they share the same lineage, but Papua's climate for growing Typica also bears great similarity to Jamaica's. As FrontStreet Coffee described, both altitude and climate types are very similar. Therefore, the Typica coffee produced in Papua closely resembles Blue Mountain coffee in flavor profile.

(Papua's Typica) It's worth noting that Papua coffee is similar to Blue Mountain, but not identical. Since Papua is closer to the equator, temperatures are higher. So when tasted carefully, there are still certain differences between them.

Currently, the most common Papua New Guinea coffee in the domestic market comes from Sigri Estate and Purosa Estate. Their exported coffee sacks all feature Papua's national bird – the "Bird of Paradise." Because of this Bird of Paradise pattern, Sigri Estate's coffee was called "Bird of Paradise Coffee" when first introduced to the country.

Although Purosa Estate later also came to be known as Bird of Paradise Coffee due to the Bird of Paradise pattern on their sacks, after years of gradual influence, most people still associate Bird of Paradise Coffee with Sigri Estate.

Sigri Estate

Founded in 1950, Sigri Estate has been around for over 70 years. For many Papua New Guinea coffee professionals, it has always been a leader in the local coffee industry. Sigri Estate's geographical location is exceptionally advantageous – situated in the Waghi Valley at 1,500 meters above sea level, with mineral-rich volcanic soil, cool climate, and abundant rainfall, making it ideal for coffee cultivation.

Moreover, Sigri Estate places great emphasis on protecting the ecological environment. To prevent water and soil pollution, Sigri Estate never sprays pesticides or insecticides on their coffee plants. Besides environmental protection, for many years, Sigri Estate has adhered to another criterion: ensuring the quality of their coffee. In the years before specialty coffee became a concept, Sigri Estate, like Jamaica, already implemented high-standard processing systems. During each coffee harvesting season, Sigri Estate manually harvests fully ripe red cherries, then uses meticulous processing to reduce the probability of negative outcomes. This is how Sigri Estate became a classic in the world of specialty coffee! And because of this, to this day, FrontStreet Coffee's Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise Coffee always comes from Sigri Estate.

FrontStreet Coffee's Papua New Guinea Coffee

The Difference Between "Little Blue Mountain" and Blue Mountain Coffee

Alright, time for our no-prize quiz! Which of the two washed beans in the picture below is Sigri Estate's Bird of Paradise, and which is Blue Mountain coffee?

Answer revealed: The left one is Bird of Paradise, the right one is Blue Mountain coffee – did you guess correctly? FrontStreet Coffee uses medium roast to "prepare" FrontStreet Coffee's Bird of Paradise beans. With medium roasting, FrontStreet Coffee's Bird of Paradise displays flavors beyond rich cocoa and nutty notes, with subtle berry-like acidity. Overall, the sweet, sour, and bitter notes are perfectly balanced, with a rich mouthfeel and a distinct, lingering aftertaste. While very similar to Blue Mountain, it maintains its own character – truly deserving of its "Little Blue Mountain" reputation!