Advent Calendar Day 13 - Papua New Guinea

COFFEE: Papua New Guinea (PNG), Nebilyer Valley

NOTES: Cocoa Powder, Toffee, Almond

ROAST: Medium

From its earliest introduction to today, the Arabica gene stock in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the country’s most valuable and well-preserved assets. Much of it comes from Typica-lineage varieties, which flourish in PNG’s remote, high-altitude highlands.

During the period between World War I and World War II, Australian settlers began establishing large coffee plantations in PNG’s highland provinces—including Eastern, Chimbu, Jiwaka, and Western Highlands. As commercial coffee export grew, many indigenous Papuans embraced coffee farming, integrating it alongside subsistence agriculture.

In the Nebilyer Valley, located in the Tambul‑Nebilyer District in PNG’s Western Highlands, coffee farming has a deep history. The Leahy family is especially central to the story: brothers Mick and Dan Leahy, originally Australian prospectors, first entered this rugged region in 1933.  Over decades, their family established a substantial coffee infrastructure, supporting both smallholder farmers and larger plantations via the Kuta Mill. The Kuta Mill plays a unifying role: small farmers (many owning just 1–2 hectares) bring their cherries here, and the mill helps process, store, dry, and export the coffee. 

There’s also a powerful social dimension: historically, different local tribes (like the Ulga and Kulga) in the Nebilyer Valley had conflicts, but coffee has become a “peace crop.” 

PNG coffee is a fantastic and unique cup.  Expect a low acidity with a syrupy, deep body in your cup.  Notes of toffee, almond and cocoa powder.  Rich and sweet with a subtle earthiness to it.

• Country: Papua New Guinea
• Region: Tambul-Nebilyer District
• Producers: Smallholder farmers organized around the Kuta Mill
• Altitude: 1,350 masl
• Varietal: Bourbon, Typica
• Process: Washed