Congo Estate, Papua New Guinea

The coffee is washed, meaning the cherry is pulped, fermented, washed, then dried to parchment before milling. The highland climate helps slow drying and lock in flavour. Some lots indicate a round body with fruity undertones from the high altitude.

Grown high in the rugged highlands of Papua New Guinea, Kongo Estate sources its coffee from smallholder farms in provinces such as Simbu and the Eastern Highlands. The altitude — often around 1,500-1,850 m above sea level — combined with rich volcanic soils and cool climate, gives the beans a special character.

Kongo Estate is an exporter and miller based in PNG’s highlands, which works with hundreds of small-scale growers to improve quality, infrastructure and traceability.

The landscape is remote and challenging — steep terrain, limited roads, and variable weather all play a part in coffee production here. But that remoteness also contributes to the character of the coffee: authentic, tactile, and full of heritage.