Country: Papua New Guinea
Region: South Foreh Local, Okapa Station, Okapa, Eastern Highlands
Farm: About 1,590 smallholder members of Roots #1 Cooperative
Process: Washed
Variety: Arusha, Typica, Mundo Novo
Harvest Schedule: April-July (main crop); December-March (fly crop)
Altitude: 1600-2200 metres
Orange blossom, marzipan, grapefruit, pastry
These Papua New Guinea beans offer some pleasantly surprising and complex savory-sweet notes! Light, sweet florals and toasty graham cracker on the nose lead to a smooth, clean cup reminiscent of key lime pie - sweet buttery pastry, tangy grapefruit acidity, with notes of marzipan to finish. Enjoyed as espresso, we're greeted by a velvety crema, caramelized brown sugar, balanced nuttiness and bright citrus shining through.
Roots #1 co-op was formed in 2012 as an effort to organize community members to share resources and deliver coffee more cost-effectively, and with a focus on empowering women to become more involved in the coffee business. Roughly 1590 smallholder producers comprise the co-op. Rather than large coffee farms, producers at Roots #1 have smaller plots called "gardens" where crops are grown for both their household as well as for income.