Why Is Kimel Estate Typica Coffee Worth Attention?
Papua New Guinea coffee has long sat in the shadow of Indonesian coffee, yet its floral and fruity notes, balanced sweetness and acidity, and strong growing conditions are drawing more attention. The Kimel Estate, jointly owned by smallholder farmers of the Opais tribe, grows typica coffee known as Little Blue Mountain in volcanic soil with diverse varietals.
Coffee production in the country climbed by 65 percent between 2015 and 2016. Papua New Guinea lies in an equatorial rainy climate zone with dense rainforest and steep mountains, holding roughly 6,500 native plant species and 380 native bird species. Its coffee grades, higher elevation than Sumatra, and washed processing set it apart from Indonesia's lower-toned aromatics.
Papua New Guinea coffee has long been overshadowed by the halo of Indonesian coffee, but its bright floral and fruity notes, balanced sweetness and acidity, and ideal growing conditions are drawing increasing attention from coffee lovers. Front Street Coffee turns its gaze to this Oceanian country to explore its unique coffee culture in depth. This article will guide you through the distribution of coffee-producing regions in Papua New Guinea, the green bean grading standards, and focus on the Kimel Estate—an estate jointly owned by smallholder farmers of the Opais tribe—and how, with its volcanic soil and diverse varietal cultivation, it nurtures the Typica coffee known as "Little Blue Mountain." From the estate's history to its cupping flavors, from the growing environment to the processing methods, we offer a comprehensive analysis of this coffee's unique charm.
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Papua New Guinea Coffee
For a considerable period, coffee produced in Papua New Guinea was overshadowed by the reputation of its neighbor Indonesia and remained little known. However, the fruity notes and sweetness displayed by this country's coffee, combined with its exceptional growing environment, successfully drew the attention and interest of Front Street Coffee. Between 2015 and 2016, the country's coffee production climbed by 65%, and this Oceanian nation deserves more attention. Papua New Guinea is one of the least developed regions in the world, covered with dense rainforests and steep mountains, and home to diverse indigenous peoples. At the same time, the country lies in the equatorial rainy climate zone, dominated by tropical rainforest, and its biodiversity leaves the Front Street team in awe—approximately 6,500 native plant species and 380 native bird species, making it a globally important biological treasure trove.
Although Papua New Guinea and Indonesia are not far apart, the coffee varieties differ from those of Indonesia, the elevation is higher than Sumatra, and washed processing is used. Front Street Coffee believes that the terroir of Papua New Guinea coffee is entirely different from Indonesia's dull, low-toned aromatics, presenting a style that is bright, with intertwined sweetness and acidity, and floral and fruity aromas.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the island of New Guinea was successively colonized by the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, Japan, Australia, and other countries. In 1961, the western half of the island became Indonesian territory, while the eastern half gained independence from Australia in 1975, becoming present-day Papua New Guinea (PAPUA NEW GUINEA).
Papua New Guinea is an island nation located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Coffee is the only cash crop in the country's highlands, accounting for 40% of Papua New Guinea's economy, with more than 2 million smallholder farmers depending on coffee for their livelihoods. The coffee produced is mainly distributed in mountainous areas at elevations of 1,500 to 1,900 meters, where the scenery is picturesque, rainfall is abundant, and the soil is volcanic, making it very suitable for growing high-quality Arabica coffee beans.
According to the regulations of the Papua New Guinea Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), the country has 16 producing provinces. However, more than 90% of production is concentrated in Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, Jiwaka, Morobe, and Chimbu provinces. The vast majority of coffee is exported to Germany, the United States, and Australia. Although Papua New Guinea's production has grown by 65%, the country's harvest scale remains relatively small. According to ICO data, in 2016 the country produced nearly 1.2 million bags of coffee (60 kg/bag), compared with nearly 11.5 million bags produced by Indonesia. More notably, before 2016, the industry had been in decline. Nevertheless, the coffee industry has a profound impact on many Papua New Guineans: the CIC estimates it provides a source of income for 400,000 rural households.
Challenges Facing Papua New Guinea
Coffee producers in Papua New Guinea face many challenges, one of the biggest being logistics. Scott Bennett, managing director of Australian importer Bennetts, worked in Papua New Guinea in the 1990s. He told Front Street Coffee: "It's not an easy country. The roads between the mountains are in poor condition, which makes transportation somewhat unstable."
Although leaf rust is not currently a major problem, environmental threats still exist. The CIC is calling on the Papua New Guinea government to provide financial support for controlling this pest. Likewise, the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International is working to prevent and manage its presence, while the New Zealand Fairtrade Australia office is providing domestic farmer training for coffee groups applying for Fairtrade certification.
Another challenge producers face is ensuring crop consistency so that they can access specialty markets.
Papua New Guinea Coffee Bean Grading Standards
PNG's green coffee bean grading method is the same as that of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Puerto Rico—all use coffee bean size as the basis for grading. Although bean size is not an absolute standard for flavor quality, it is a highly referential indicator for coffee beans from certain producing regions. In these regions, beans grow robustly, and mature beans that are plump and well-formed best express beautiful flavors. Consistent ripeness, hardness, and moisture content make it easier for the roasting process to achieve a uniform and perfect flavor, so many emerging producing regions also adopt this as a grading method.
Papua New Guinea coffee grades are divided into 12 levels in total, graded by defects:
The meaning and rules of Papua New Guinea green coffee bean names:
PNG Plantation Y
Country + Planting Type + Grade Name
In Papua New Guinea, Plantations and Large Estates account for 25% of national production; small and medium-sized farms (Holdings or Blocks) of 10-20 hectares account for 10% of production; in PNG, there are a total of 76 registered plantations and estates.
Taking the most highly regarded specialty grades AA and A as examples:
(1) AA and A grade coffees belong to the specialty coffee grade, mainly from larger estates.
For AA, bean size is larger than 18 screen, and the bean shape is oval flat beans. Defect count: a maximum of 10 defects per kilogram. The green bean appearance is green with a slight blue tint. The green bean flavor must be clean, and the roasted flavor must be clean and smooth. The cupping profile must be Fine Cup.
(2) A grade size must be larger than 17 screen, and cupping must reach at least GTF grade (Good to Fine)—that is, good to fine flavor—with other defect counts and green bean conditions the same as AA.
Papua New Guinea Producing Regions
Eastern Highlands Province
Most coffee in Papua New Guinea comes from the highlands provinces, and Eastern Highlands Province is undoubtedly the best coffee-producing region in Papua New Guinea.
■ Altitude: 400-1900m
■ Harvest period: April-September
■ Varieties: Bourbon, Typica, Arusha
Western Highlands Province
Western Highlands Province is another major coffee-producing region in Papua New Guinea, with much of the coffee grown around Mount Hagen, the provincial capital. The city's name comes from an ancient dormant volcano. Coffee from this region is mostly processed in Goroka, so obtaining traceability for some coffees is not easy. The altitude combined with incredibly fertile soil gives this region's coffee limitless quality potential.
■ Altitude: 1000-1800m
■ Harvest period: April-September
■ Varieties: Bourbon, Typica, Arusha
Chimbu Province
Chimbu has not had a long history of growing coffee trees, but it possesses rich soil, high altitude, mild climate year-round, and good green bean processing: coffee farmers hand-pick ripe coffee cherries and transport them to the Goroka processing facility for depulping and fermentation. After washed processing and sun-drying, the result is what is now widely popular honey processing, ensuring quality and giving the coffee beans a rich, full-bodied taste, making them highly rated coffee beans. 90% of the population in the region is engaged in coffee-related industries, and it is basically the only local cash crop.
■ Altitude: 1300-1900m
■ Harvest period: April-September
■ Varieties: Bourbon, Typica, Arusha
Kimel Estate
In the 1920s, British settlers from Kenya established large plantations to grow commercial coffee in Papua New Guinea. They introduced native Arabica species from Ethiopia and Kenya, and also introduced Blue Mountain and Typica varieties from Jamaica. At the time, most coffee was produced by 18 large coffee farms. Times have changed, and although large coffee farms still operate today, their production accounts for only 15% of the national total. Currently, most coffee comes from individual smallholder farmers who grow coffee in their own "coffee gardens," and these farmers depend on farming for their livelihoods.
Kimel is located in the Waghi Valley of the Western Highlands, near the Kimel River valley, with volcanic rock soil. Like many large farms or estates, it has its own dedicated washing station, but in fact this is an estate jointly owned by many independent smallholder coffee farmers of the surrounding Opais people. Because of the excellent growing environment and the processing facility's stable quality control procedures, the coffee produced has a lively brightness and retains a considerable degree of the flavor distinctiveness of Papua New Guinea coffee. The coffee varieties planted at Kimel are diverse, including Typica, Arusha, Blue Mountain, Mundo Novo, Catimor, Caturra, and more. Most farmers plant different varieties to avoid the risk of production abnormalities in a specific variety, but this also creates the interesting expression of this coffee.
Kimel Estate was established in 1974 by Australian-born businessman Bobby Gibbs, and was named after the adjacent Kimel River. Currently, a total of 432 employees, mainly from the Opais tribe, live here. Although the estate owner is a foreign national, coffee production and estate management are handled by local farmers. The estate also provides well-established educational institutions and medical facilities. The coffee trees on the estate are all grown under shade, which not only regulates temperature but also reduces excessive sunlight. Local farmers also adopt practices that minimize environmental impact during production, such as recycling water resources and using residual pulp as fertilizer. A wide variety of crops are planted on the estate, from traditional Typica and Bourbon to the rare Blue Mountain variety, making the coffee produced here more resistant to various pests, diseases, and natural disasters, stabilizing quality while also bringing more elements to the coffee's flavor.
Kimel Estate Cupping Scores Over the Years
November 2014 Coffee Review 92 points
November 2013 Coffee Review 93 points
What Is Little Blue Mountain Coffee? In 1937, coffee cultivation in Papua New Guinea began with seeds imported from Jamaica's famous Blue Mountain region. The seedlings at Kimel Estate are Typica Arabica transplanted from native Jamaican seedlings, making them descendants of Blue Mountain, also called "Little Blue Mountain Coffee." Little Blue Mountain coffee's flavor characteristics are close to authentic Blue Mountain coffee, but there are still some differences: Little Blue Mountain coffee's fruity acidity is more pronounced and fuller, unlike authentic Blue Mountain coffee, which balances sweetness, acidity, and bitterness.
Kimel Estate Coffee Cupping Report
Flavor: This Kimel Estate peaberry has a slight spice note on the palate, and after entering the mouth carries the sweet, refreshing taste of nuts and sugarcane, with a creamy, buttery smoothness. The peaberry's mouthfeel is more solid, and the overall performance is balanced and smooth. The flavor is rich and the aroma pleasant, with no herbal or earthy notes; its texture is as intense and full-bodied as a Van Gogh painting.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
