Around the beginning of the year, we start seeing arrivals of fresh-crop coffees from Papua New Guinea. Coffees from this region tend to exhibit a unique variety of spiced notes and complexity and this year has been no exception in that regard. Over the last three years, we've noted the amazing quality coming from the producers in Kabiufa, and are excited to be able to offer this lot for the third year now!
This offering comes from the initiative of Moses Venapo, who is an entrepreneurial producer in the Eastern Highlands, and stands out from many other coffees from Papua New Guinea. Moses wanted to offer local smallholders better access to higher market prices as well as offering greater traceability to coffee buyers. Most coffees in Papua New Guinea are delivered in parchment (the husk that remains around the coffee seeds after they are dried). These are then delivered in small quantities to roadside delivery points. In contrast to these standard practices, Moses established a cherry-buying facility and installed a wet mill in his backyard in order to have more control over the purchasing and processing. The coffee is bought in cherry at a significant premium to the general market price and is sorted carefully. Farmers are provided with feedback about best practices in picking. By purchasing the cherries instead of the parchment, he is able to maintain quality through a larger portion of this very important stage in coffee processing. And it shows! Although this is a newer project that serves around 50 smallholders around Moses' village, we and our sourcing partners at Cafe Imports see a lot of promise based on the cup quality and ingenuity of the venture.
When we first tasted this coffee on the cupping table, we noted that it had a very dense and complex flavor profile. We noted flavors of apricot, tamarind, lemon drop, and pink peppercorn alongside a big and syrupy body. This is such a unique coffee and is great to cozy up with on these wintry days.
All coffees are available in whole bean only.
We roast and ship on Mondays and Thursdays. Orders placed Thursday through Sunday at midnight will roast and ship on Monday. Orders placed Monday through Wednesday at midnight will roast and ship on Thursday.
