Papua New Guinea - Kagamuga

Relationship

This coffee comes to us through Royal Coffee, our trusted partner for a little over two years now. Initially connecting with Royal through our wholesale program, our relationship deepened thanks largely to the thoughtful support of their team, especially Richard Sandlin. This lot was selected from a crowded cupping table featuring naturals and anaerobic naturals, but this coffee stood out clearly for its complexity and tropical fruit-forward acidity.

We were specifically looking for an intense, complex cup with a natural or anaerobic natural process, and this coffee hit the mark. We had a similar PNG offering from Kindeng Mill last year, which had a similar flavor profile but with less pronounced tropical fruit acidity. (Kindeng Mill coincidentally works with Monpi Coffee, as does Kagamuga Dry Mill. Monpi Coffee is one of the main exporters of Papua New Guinea coffees. More on this anecdote later in the Processing Station section.) We believed that lot was an outlier for PNG, but the repeat purchase of this coffee confirms our belief in PNG as an origin. We’re now even more confident in PNG’s potential and will be paying closer attention to future harvests from this region.

Country

Coffee cultivation in Papua New Guinea (PNG) dates back to the late 19th century, when seeds from Jamaica’s Blue Mountains were first introduced. Over time, varieties like Typica and Bourbon were also introduced, laying the foundation for the distinct coffee profiles PNG offers today..

Around 85% of PNG's coffee production is from smallholder farmers, often cultivating coffee on plots smaller than one hectare, intercropped with food crops and grown under natural shade. This model supports biodiversity and is vital for the livelihoods of many rural families. The country's mountainous terrain, volcanic soils, and abundant rainfall create an ideal environment for growing complex, sweet, and lively coffees.

(Sources: Royal Coffee; Coffee Industry Corporation Ltd – PNG)

Region

Jiwaka Province, located in the lush highlands of Papua New Guinea, is known for producing some of the country’s finest coffees. The Arufa community within Jiwaka sits at elevations ranging from 1,400 to 1,800 meters, benefitting from fertile volcanic soils, cool temperatures, and consistent rainfall. These high-altitude conditions allow coffee cherries to mature slowly, which results in complex flavors, great sweetness, and a well-rounded acidity.

(Source: Royal Coffee)