Papua New Guinea Morita Arusha Washed

About the Coffee

Grower:     Ben Colbran Family, Baroida Plantation
Region:     Aiyura, Kianantu District
Cultivar:    Arusha
Altitude:   1700 meters
Process:    Washed
Drying Method: Patio Sun-dried
Grade:       Estate
Flavor Notes:    Berry tea, Chocolate-covered dried fruit

The Baroida Plantation, located in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, was founded by Ben Colbran in the 1960s. Ben first purchased the land from a native man named Taro and they were amongst the first people to cultivate crops in these valleys. In 1965, the government encouraged the early settlers to start growing coffee as a long-term sustainable crop. Ben started to plant coffee trees, becoming one of the first coffee producers of the Eastern Highlands. The Colbran Family is now in its third generation with Ben's son Nichol and grandson Chris running Baroida Plantation. Through either luck or good design, the plantation sits at the apex of the Lamari River Valley and Mount Jabarra range. The plantation itself is at about 1700 meters amongst thousands of hectares of cleared land with former colonial coffee estates surrounding them (now run by native landowners) and flanked by mountains (up to 2300 meters) filled with small holder coffee producers. This particular lot, Morita, is from the highest part of the farm and is planted in the Arusha coffee variety. This cultivar type is believed to be a descendent of Bourbon, in particular the SL types produced in Kenya, known for high levels of acidity and fruited sweetness.