Papua New Guinea – Eastern Highlands

Goroka, the closest urban center to Bena Coffee Farm, is one of the main highland towns on the westbound Highlands Highway – the rugged, and only, official route connecting the East coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and it’s industrial port of Lae.  From its earliest introduction to present day, the arabica gene stock in the Eastern Highlands is considered to be one of PNG’s strongest natural assets, not to mention one of the best preserved Typica lineage variety sets in the world.

For hundreds of thousands of rural farmers coffee would be, and still is, the very first and only source of western currency.  To this day expert level cultivation knowledge largely remains in the possession and experience of PNG’s plantation owners.

Bena Coffee Farm, about 10 miles Southeast of Goroka, is a hybrid model for PNG: a 33 hectare private estate whose coffee is sub-divided individual family run plots for direct management, many of which have been cared for by the same family for two generations.  Each participating family unit manages their individual block within the greater farmland.  This includes coffee plant management (pruning, weeding) soil drainage and overall health, fencing and canopy management.  Canopy tends to be made up of nitrogen fixing trees as well as banana and taro plants.  Processing includes picking ripe cherries that are hand-pulped on site, and then fermented dry in small plastic bags between 36 – 48 hours.  Clean water is used to wash the fermented parchment, after which the parchment is sun-dried on raised beds for an average of 7 – 10 days.  Finished, dried parchment is packaged in clean jute bags and kept in designated storage houses on individual farms until delivery to the central mill for final processing and export. 

We put a dark roast on this year’s Eastern Highlands harvest to highlight its densely creamy body and low acidity.  Flavor notes of almond, bakers chocolate and caramelized pumpkin compliment a pleasant, lingering finish.

 Dark roast, full body, and low acidity. Densely creamy body. Sweet, smooth and well-balanced. Flavor notes of almond, bakers chocolate, caramelized pumpkin. Pleasant, lingering finish.

Cupping Profile:
Roast: Dark
Body: Full
Brightness: Low
Flavor Notes: Almond, Bakers Chocolate, Caramelized Pumpkin

Origin Information:
Region: Unggai Bena District, Eastern Islands, PNG
Producer: Bena Coffee Estate
Varietals: Blue Mountain, Arusha, Mundo Novo, Bourbon 
Altitude: 1600 masl
Processing: Fully Washed and Sun-Dried