Filter & Espresso
Passion fruit, black tea, papaya
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Papua New Guinea |
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1,700 - 1,850 meters above sea level. |
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Arusha, Bourbon |
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Washing |
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Colbran Family |
Baroida Estate. Specialty coffee from Papua New Guinea
Located in the Eastern Highlands Province, Baroida Estate consistently produces some of the highest quality coffees in Papua New Guinea.
Thanks to meticulous cherry separation during quality control, this coffee shines with great acidity, good body, and a rich sweetness on the palate.
About this coffee
Baroida Estate is located in the Kainantu District, Eastern Highlands Province.
The estate was founded by Ben Colbran in the 1960s when the government invited foreign farmers to farm the land in the Eastern Highlands.
Ben Colbran started by purchasing land from a native named Taro and was one of the first farmers to grow coffee in these valleys. Today, Ben's son, Nicol, runs the farm.
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the berries are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe berries are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately 8 hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on African raised beds and carefully hand-sorted again. The name "Baroida" comes from the spirit of Baroida, which locals believe resides in a large boulder located in one of the main rivers that flow through the estate.This particular rock has stubbornly remained in the middle of the river for as long as anyone can remember, refusing to budge even during the most severe floods, when other rocks have been easily swept away by the current.
The Baroida plantation is located at the apex of the Lamari River valley and the Mount Jabarra range.
The farm itself sits at about 1,691 meters above sea level, nestled among thousands of hectares of land surrounded by former colonial estates (now run by native landowners) and flanked by mountains filled with small coffee farmers cultivating nearly one million trees.
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the beans are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe beans are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately eight hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on raised African beds and carefully hand-sorted again.The cultivation
One of the biggest challenges the Colbrans faced when they started was waterlogging. The system typically used for coffee seedlings in Papua New Guinea was adapted from Kenya.
When planting a new seedling, a hole about one meter wide by one meter deep is dug, filled with topsoil, and the seedling is placed in it.
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the berries are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe berries are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for about 8 hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on African raised beds and carefully hand-sorted again. This method proved completely unsuitable for the humid lands of PNG, where the average annual rainfall is 90 inches (as opposed to Kenya's 60 inches).Despite this, they solved the problem by digging drainage ditches between each row of coffee. Over time, Ben became very good at "reading" the coffee plants' needs (i.e., when they needed certain fertilizers, if the coffee was diseased, etc.).
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the beans are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe beans are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately eight hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on African raised beds and carefully hand-sorted again. Over time and with experience, they gained additional knowledge and techniques, which were passed on to Nicol, who continues to implement them today.Some minor adjustments have been made over the years as the farm and production have grown in size.
More shade trees have been planted to reduce the need for fertilizers and keep weeds under control.
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the beans are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe beans are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately eight hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on raised African beds and carefully hand-sorted again. As a result, more shade results in lower yields.Therefore, the Colbrans have implemented renewal and planting programs to meet future demand.
However, according to Nicol, the high quality of their coffees is due, in part, to the "antiquated" systems that have been in place since the late 1960s.
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the beans are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe beans are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately eight hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on raised African beds and carefully hand-sorted again.Harvest and post-harvest
Meticulous sorting and grading of the cherries is key to maintaining the high quality of the coffee.
After careful selection, the cherry is pulped.
It is then dry fermented in tanks for approximately 36 hours.
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the beans are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe beans are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately 8 hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on raised African beds and carefully hand-sorted again. To stop the fermentation process, water is added to the tanks in a circular motion, agitating the coffee naturally to remove any remaining mucilage.The coffee is then left to dry in the sun on canvas, where it is stirred regularly to ensure even drying.
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the beans are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe beans are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately eight hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on raised African beds and carefully hand-sorted again. 
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the beans are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe beans are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately eight hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on raised African beds and carefully hand-sorted again. 
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the beans are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe beans are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately eight hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on raised African beds and carefully hand-sorted again.Grade AX
Papua New Guinea's unique grading system includes grain sizes X and AX. AX indicates that the lot has grains with a mesh size of 14 to 17. This means that the grains in an AX lot are between 5.5 and 6.75 millimeters in size.
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the beans are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe beans are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately eight hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on raised African beds and carefully hand-sorted again.The Colbran family
Ben Colbran was a pioneer in coffee cultivation in the Eastern Highlands, specifically in the Kianantu district.
Colbran moved from New Zealand to PNG in 1963 with his wife Norma and their three children, Jill, Sandra and Nicol.
There, he bought a farm of about 242 hectares. He began growing vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and fruit.
These crops grew very well in these lands, and Colbran quickly made a name for himself in the port city's markets. With the money he earned, he bought other goods such as sugar, tea, and flour, which were difficult to obtain in the region.
In this way, little by little, he saved enough money to set up a sawmill, which he saw as the best way to generate sufficient funds for his big dream: a coffee farm.
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the berries are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe berries are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately eight hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on African raised beds and carefully hand-sorted again. From that point on, Ben led Baroida as one of the most notable coffee farms in all of PNG.His son Nicol, who had lived in the countryside practically his entire life, had helped him from a very young age.
When Ben Colbran sold the estate in 1979 and moved to Australia, Nicol stayed and worked in estate management with the new owners.
Nichol has lived on Baroida Estate since she was 6 years old, ever since her family moved to Papua New Guinea.
Biftu Gudina's coffee is processed using the washed method. Once at the washing station, the beans are hand-sorted, and any unripe or overripe beans are discarded before being passed through the Penagos eco-pulper (this machine helps reduce excessive water use). The beans are then soaked for approximately eight hours. The cooperative's wastewater treatment relies on a natural form of filtration through a plot of vetiver grass before passing through wells and finally into the soil. The beans are then sun-dried for 10 to 14 days on raised African beds and carefully hand-sorted again. In 1997, he repurchased the farm and has owned and operated it ever since.Today, the farm comprises approximately 220 hectares of mature coffee trees along with some sections of new plantations.
Nicol also works with other farms and farmers in the region, providing processing and marketing support.
