Papua New Guinean Bunum Wo Peaberry
Recently, we have released our initial batch of seasonal coffees. Sold under our Speciality Coffee banner, these offerings are sourced from some of the best growing regions in the world and as such are something a little bit different to our usual blends.
Here on the Caffe Society blog we’ll be looking in detail at each variety individually. First up is our Papua New Guinean Bunum Wo Peaberry.
Papua New Guinean Bunum Wo Peaberry
Nestled on the hillsides of the Wahgi Valley in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea is a cluster of plantations that fall under the umbrella of the renowned Sigri Estate. The climate for coffee cultivation here is idyllic: there is just enough rain, just enough heat, the altitude tops 1,600m and the soil is as fertile and as favourable as anywhere else in the world. Throw in the wonderful, patchwork history of Papuan coffee and you have the ideal place to grow some truly special coffee.
It is here where we have sourced this Peaberry, a bold, beautiful and rewarding coffee that is sold under the Bunum Wo banner.
Coffee production started late on the island nation, but thanks to a haphazard approach to farming during the 1920s – farmers took a little bit of this varietal, a little bit of that, mixed it with some prized Jamaican Blue Mountain, added some Caturra and Arusha and hoped for the best – Papuan coffee quickly blossomed. This almost scattergun approach has seen the country produce some exceptionally unique coffees that stand apart from those of neighbouring Indonesia.
Where Indonesian coffees can be seen as dark, almost elemental in their profile, Papuans tend to be mellower and temper that earthy edge with a distinct sweetness. The results are, in our humble opinion, superb.
This Peaberry is both bold and beautiful, and suitable for a variety of brewing methods thanks to its suppleness. As an espresso some its earthy notes are accentuated, served through a French Press and its fruit tones come to the fore whilst brewed with an AeroPress you can notice a distinct sweetness.
Simply put, it’s a very rewarding bean.
But, we can hear you ask, ‘what is a Peaberry?’
Peaberry
Normally a coffee cherry develops two beans which then grow in perfect harmony. Enclosed inside the cherry’s spherical shape, these beans are pressed against each other, causing one side to be flat(ter) than its other. However in a peaberry, the cherry only produces one seed which is given the freedom to stretch its legs a little and expand on all fronts. The result is a rounded bean.
They tend to be smaller, denser, and, let’s face it, just a little bit cuter than their flat cousins.
Serious Eats
Why this happens, nobody knows. It is a perfectly natural abnormality and some go far as saying they are superior to their rounded cousins. Are they? We’ll let you decide.
In the cup
Typically, expect a bundle of smoky notes on the fore that never overpower. These then gently wash away to reveal a softer, ample-like underbelly and tantalisingly sweet finish
Quick look
Origin: Wahgi Valley, Papua New Guinea
Altitude: 1,600m
Varietal: Various, including Jamaican Blue Mountain
Process: Wet processed and then bed dried