Five Senses Coffee Blog

Surprising Results from our Bali Experiments

On my last trip to Bali I brought back the last of our green samples from our processing experiments. This was started by the brave team on our June harvest trip and involved careful cherry selection of each varietal (B1, S795 and Usda) and subsequent processing by either washed, pulped natural or natural method. We had already cupped the washed and pulped natural samples and these natural samples were the last part of the puzzle.

The overall standard of the naturals were very good with the surprise winner being the S795. The Usda varietal is a reliable winner of all previous Bali cuppings and I thought the natural preparation would really suit it. The Usda is an indigenous Ethiopian varietal, a country that produces some amazing naturally processed coffees. But my theories didn’t stand up in practice. I guess it’s a bit like assuming every Ethiopian is going to be a great long distance runner!!

The winning coffee exhibited an atypical (for Bali) fruity brightness accompanied by the usual voluptuous body we’ve come to expect. It was scored at 84 and we’d be pretty confident in thinking this is the best coffee to come out of Bali. This coffee came from the Ulian Murni Subak which is relatively low at 1000 to 1100 meters above asl. Using the rough rule of thumb of 1 cupping point per additional 100 metres above sea level, my dream is still alive to bring back a 87+ coffee from Bali. Just need to find that S795 plantation above 1400 metres asl!!

The natural prep requires a lot more time and space than the usual washed process, so it probably doesn’t have much appeal to the farmers but we may be able to persuade them to do a few bags for us next harvest for our Backroom program. Watch this space!!

Cupping the S795

Tags: B1, Bali, S795, Usda, Varietal

The Coffee Spectrum

It seems as though every day is a week. There is so much to take in, and I don’t want to miss a thing!

We made the long and very bumpy journey out of the beautiful Attikan Estate and on to the Lakshmi Coffee Curing Works in Hassan. The journey took about eight hours, but was well worth it. Mr Narayanan, the manager, took us on a tour and explained that the coffee he receives from the Sangameshwar Coffee Estates is all stored separately in individual fields or lots. The coffee being processed on the farm is their own lot, but it is all kept totally separate here too. We went from watching the de-stoning of the coffee and the hulling of the parchment coffee, through to seeing the ‘polishing’ (removing the silver skin) and the way they get rid of excess dust etc. Then the coffee is graded by machine and sorted for different defects such as black beans, by a machine called Spectrum which was imported from Brazil.

It uses a spectrometer to sort the defects out. The coffee then comes out as 95% ‘clean’ or free of defects. Next it goes through a vibrator which again sorts out chipped, triaged and damaged beans and it is now considered 98% clean or sorted. Lastly, all the coffee is hand sorted in order to be checked off as 99% clean or sorted. It is a long and laborious task, but the final product is one that was good enough to make our offering list at Five Senses, as the Attikan Estate.

Next we made the journey to the Karadykhan Estate which is about two hours drive from Chikmagalur where we are spending two nights. We arrived at 11:45pm having left Attikan at 8am — a long and magnificent day. We spent today looking at the Karadykhan Estate, the Gungegiri Estate and the Kondagkhan Estate, which all fall under the Sangameshwar Coffee Estates banner (along with Attikan). There is so much to see and it is such an organised and transparent operation. We were able to see ‘muster’ which is the roll call on all of these Estates. At muster, every single worker is accounted for. They are assigned a place to work on the farm, told what they will do there (weeding, shading, trimming etc.) and given an allotted length of time to work. So the coffee we get is traceable back not only to the field, but to each and every individual worker. Brilliant!

Tomorrow we are heading back to Bangalore and on Monday we will be flying into the Araku Valley. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming days.

India women sorting

Visiting Attikan, Deep in the Indian Jungle

It’s just about dinner time on our second day in India. We landed in Bangalore and were picked up by Charles, our softly spoken and somewhat cheeky driver. (This guy can thread the needle between cars at 120km per hour – what a gun!) The next morning we met Mr. Appadurai, who owns the Attikan Estate. He inherited the company from his grandfather, who bought the farm from A.C. Morris in 1960 – but more about that later.

We fought through the traffic in Bangalore to arrive at Mrs Menon’s office and cupping lab. Mrs. Menon is a very well known and well respected coffee expert based in Bangalore. We were greeted with a huge smile, warm welcome and, of course, coffee. It was the sweet, creamy and delicious traditional Indian coffee, with a distinct lingering bitter caramel finish and hand foamed milk. We were able to check out her incredible lab setup and meet her friendly staff. But we only had a short amount of time, because we had a long journey ahead of us to reach the gates of the protected forest and wildlife reserve (where the 440 acre Attikan Estate is located) before they closed for the night. Attikan means ‘fig jungle’ and there are hundreds of huge jungle fig trees on the estate which provide shade for the coffee trees.

We travelled on the crazy roads for the next eight hours, weaving in and out of traffic, dodging, people, bikes, cars, animals and, of course, out of control carts pulled by cows. We arrived at the gates of the jungle just as they were locking up (if you miss lock up, it’s too bad; turn around or sleep in the car!) We were extremely pleased to make it in time – as the jungle is home to elephants, tigers, leopards, snakes, wild boars, and a host of other sweet jungle critters. It took the next two hours to climb the Biligri Hills or White Hills (because of the heavy mist that swirls around the peaks.) We were in a 4WD, and came across deer and a monster porcupine on the way. We arrived at the Estate at around 7:30pm, and as we rolled up, we saw an amazing old cottage (or bungalow as it is known here.) A.C. Morris built the bungalow in 1888 when he established the plantation, and it is still in amazingly good condition, with no electricity or gas; we were in for a treat. There was a generator that worked for a few hours at night, wood-fired hot water and a kitchen. We were able to relax a little after the trek to get there, and were fed more food than I would be given at home … it was amazing!

This morning we woke up, went for a walk to the front of the property and looked out over the plantation from the cottage which is 5400ft up the mountain. We set out on a hike around some of the plantation to check out the 25 different ‘fields’ all which are harvested and processed separately (three rounds for each field to ensure only ripe cherries are picked). Each lot varies in characteristics, and a sample of each field is sent to Mrs. Menon for analysis, grading and a full report of what is good and what needs work. Her lab also analyses the flavour profile which buyers (like us) might be interested in. The farm and production process here is very organised and well maintained. The trees are planted in 5ft by 5ft areas so they can be easily harvested, which makes picking on this very steep and rugged terrain easier.

Next we went to check out the processing plant on the farm where the coffee is sorted for floaters etc., pulped, fermented, washed and dried – firstly on raised beds and then on patios or ‘barbeques’ as they are known as here. The coffee is then ready to be sent to the curing plant … which we will get to see tomorrow.

Lastly, we were privileged enough to be able to head up to the village of the local tribal Sholigas who make up a big percentage of the workers on the plantation. The kids were amazing and, as always, there were a couple of cheeky ones who wanted to star in all our photos. There were well maintained veggie gardens, banana trees, and cows. Their small huts were made from woven sticks and clay and were amazingly clean and tidy. A beautiful and proud group of people.

All in all, an amazing first couple of days, and so much to take in. I could keep writing for days, but this is a blog, not a novel … Enjoy!

Seedlings at Attikan Estate in India

To infinity and beyond

I’m aware that this blog post title and the photo appear pretty random but let me explain. Brad and I have just commenced a journey which includes the HOST trade show in Milan followed by lots of visits to like – minded roasteries to share knowledge and hopefully learn new things. The pic shows Brad standing on the cliff at the most south western corner of Europe looking hard into the distance. When I took the picture I was thinking that I might use it for a post that said something like “we travel to the corners of the planet to bring you all the best in coffee and stuff”. After a milli second of thinking about it I realized that this would take corny to a new level so that idea was shelved.

All I want you to know is that over the next few weeks we will be trying to learn as much as we can from others that will help as make our coffee and the delivery of it as a fresh roasted product to you even better

Bali Coffee Seedling Nursery

For anyone who followed our nursery building adventures in Bali back in June I’m sure you’ve spent many sleepless nights wondering how our little seedlings are going. Well the news is all good!! The nursery looks great and preparations are well underway to move to phase 2. This is the transfer of the seedlings into poly bags and then to a bigger shade enclosure where they will mature until February 2012 when the farmers will undertake the mammoth task of getting the “10000 ish” seedlings into the ground.

The S795 seedlings have been the star performers with the USDA seedlings showing the fickleness of this variety even at this very early stage. The performance of the USDA is a reminder that what is best for us is not always the best for the farmer. The USDA coffee wins blind cuppings but seems to be tricky to manage at every step of the process.

When livelihoods are at risk its best to go with the more reliable option, so future nurseries will be S795 and we still hope to get some Selection 9 from India to trial from next year’s harvest. India shares similar conditions to Bali so the Selection 9 should work well here. The S795 is also widely grown in India.

Each farmer has been allocated some seedlings and they’ve been busy digging the holes required. Each hole needs to be 60 cms deep by 30 cms diameter so there’s plenty of hard work to be done. We’ll be back in February to help the farmers and keep assisting them with their journey. There is some concern amongst the Subak members whether investing so heavily in coffee is sensible which is expected. This is a major departure from their previous activities where cloves where the major source of income. They will retain the clove production but coffee will be a big part of their life once they plant out the full 24 hectares over the next couple of years.

Rest assured we’ll be with them every step of the way and so will you!!

Garden Bed

Seedlings

Seedling

Seedling

We found something special in the Highlands

This morning I took a break from cupping with the main group and did some more roast training with Ricky. His level of enthusiasm and attention to detail is terrific. Later we cupped three different roasts — a comparison for optimal flavour and ability to detect fault. Ricky is a great person to have on the ground for us here in PNG and his cupping and roasting skills have improved even in the short amount of time we’ve spent with him.

After the morning session we took a ride up to Timusa in the Eastern Highlands. Unfortunately this region has not cupped well over the last three days. Despite this, we can see potential with a 50 bag producer ticking all the boxes for a small holder to produce outstanding quality. Just currently let down by some small issues with processing (which seems to be the achilles heal for many small holder farms in PNG). The small village had great charm and character, and is situated about one and a half hours from Goroka in the Eastern Highlands. The village leader’s name is Offy, upon arrival we were affectionately greeted by his family — a tight knit group whose huts and houses circled neatly around drying beds. He gave us a tour of his processing station and new water supply — we saw enough to suggest that this farm has real potential and worthy of investing time, effort and resources into.

A village nestled up in the Eastern Highlands with real potential.

Tags: 2011, origin trip, PNG

Cupping and profiling training in PNG

Today we began preparations to run a cupping/profiling and training session with AIGS. AIGS is a Australia Aid funded program and stands for Agriculture, Innovation, Grand Scheme. The event begins tomorrow and will showcase some of PNG’s best coffees from 72 different regions. Fifteen experienced cuppers will be attending from all around the country, where we will be scoring and profiling the coffees to give the farmers feedback.

Nothing tends to run smoothly in PNG and with a hectic three days planned, power outages and ‘PNG time’ amongst many limitations seem to dislodge our attempt to complete our busy schedule. In fact almost every process along the way has needed a form of compromise, it has been a huge challenge to set this event up to meet industry standards.

I have begun roast training with several representatives from AIGS, this was a great opportunity to teach them how to traditional roast for cuppings. Most of the roasting I have seen here in PNG is very dark, even by espresso standards, which is not ideal. As a result, all of the coffees tend to taste the same and the unique characteristics are lost, while we also lose the ability to detect fault.

After the great results yesterday with the roast training, the next step is training them to taste the difference — this is without a doubt the most important factor if we are to implement lasting improvements.

Prior to training we also got a chance to see our Elimbari pre-shipment sample

Rugby in PNG: impacting the community positively

Today we were treated to without doubt, PNG’s greatest passions: Rugby.

Jerry is owner of a national Rugby team; the Simbu Warriors. His ownership is his way of sowing back into the local Simbu region and his team adheres to strict anti drug, and smoking policies as to set an example to the region. I couldn’t think of a better vessel in which Jerry could positively impact the community.

Today the Simbu Warriors faced a huge challenge at home against the Goroka Lahanis who sit on top of the ladder. Donning our new Simbu Warrior jerseys and caps courtesy of Jerry, we tagged along witnessing the players pre-match preparation. We were then convoyed through the streets into the stadium (I use that term loosely). The team was then led on foot by the Simbu Warrior mascots — feathered traditional hunters who’s brief costumes made me want to whisper; ‘excuse me sir’s, your tackles are showing’.

The field was rough and bumpy. In fact the day before we watched several boys at Jerry’s processing plant loading coffee husk into the back of a 4x4s, which was then used to fill in the holes on the playing service. The boys earned free tickets and a coke for their hard labour, which created multiple places for the players to rub their tackled opponents into the ground.

The passion for this sport in PNG is probably best described as fanatic. At one stage during the game the crowd started throwing bottles and stones at the Goroka players which brought the game to a halt. With some calming words by Jerry (announced over the PA system) and the presence of police with automatic machine guns, the crowd calmed and the game resumed. The Simbu Warriors stormed home for a 4 point victory, which was great news for us and our safety!

Simbu Warrior Rugby team mascots

Simbu Warrior Rugby team

The logistics of transporting coffee in PNG … and a visit to Kongo.

We finally arrived to Goroka after catching the midnight horror flight into Brisbane and then on to Goroka. Some of my preconceived ideas formed by words such as ‘flak jacket’ and the need to fit in by wearing a Mendi Hat (which is a reggae like beanie) have been mostly unjustified. In saying that PNG is definitely a unique place; unique and chaotic at the same time.

We spent today catching up with Jerry at Kongo coffee’s operation in Chuave, Simbu which sits 1730m above sea level — the highest processing station in PNG. The trip there is an interesting ride on the Highlands Highway. Taking this journey helps you to appreciate the logistical issues faced when transporting coffee as the roads are poorly maintained and effected by frequent land slides. We passed the land slide which caused huge delays last season (now mostly repaired). Our driver explained how the road blockage was overcome by building a bridge in which workers hand carted stock to ensure a small trickle of backlogged deliveries to pass whilst the repairs were made.

We toured Kongo’s processing facility and witnessed the buying of coffee along with the grading and quality measures in place. Elimbari is sourced from approved farms only; a program in which the farmer must register interest in and also conform to strict quality guidelines. Farmers are paid a premium to produce Elimbari once the quality is verified according to strict guidelines which stipulate selective ripe-only cherry picking, fermentation time, moisture content and more. We also looked at the separate drying beds and storage facility dedicated to make the Elimbari grade stay exceptional in quality.

Milling and operational duties checked off, tomorrow we are spending the day visiting farms in the Mt Elimbari region. We have the chance to follow up some small micro lot leads and visit some farms which Jerry recommended. On the shortlist is a farm in Simbu, Gumine — producing just 8-10 sacks per season of exceptional quality. We hope to grab a sample tomorrow we will report back!

PNG highlands

The Bintangs flow on the last day in Bali

Well, it feels like last day of school camp, a mixture of excitement and hint of sadness as everyone starts to realize that our amazing trip is drawing to an end. The team scatters to tie up some unfinished business. Some head to Tri Karya for their first look at the nursery and a chance to experience the amazing location. Dashing Dave ticks off a service call on the ageing coffee gear at Honeymoon cottage and I head out to Singaraja with my Balinese brothers for some personal business. But the fun aint over yet! Tonight is party night and a chance to thank all our of our local crew of drivers, guides and hotel staff. These guys do an amazing job for us, always ready to help with a smile on their face. They give the trip a richness that’s hard to describe but we all feel it and are deeply touched.

We get in an outside chef, some musicians and plenty of bintang! Things start a little slow as our Balinese friends struggle to relax. But soon enough with the guitars playing and a bit of coaxing they start to get in the mood and the party gets started! Everyone’s drinking large bintangs straight from the bottle, singing like their in the shower and Gusti is busting out the dance moves. Dashing Dave plays some percussion on an empty water bottle, Jen grabs a guitar and plays along and random guests from neighbouring hotels drop by, attracted by the not insubstantial noise we are staring to create. We realise pretty quickly that Bintang reinforcements are called for and a couple more crates magically appear.

The vibe is crazy and uninhibited, Nat becomes chief chanteuse and is possibly the only one of us Bules who can hold a tune, nicely supported by a surprisingly harmonious Brad B. We plough our way thru all the guitar classics with a few local tunes thrown in. The Balinese guys are very musical and clap, sing or dance along. The cameras are flashing, the beer is flowing, the dance floor is pumping and I look around very proud of the way our team conducts itself. Always ready to help each other and respectful to our Balinese friends and curious about their unique and beautiful culture. Over the four years our engagement keeps growing with the nursery being our most ambitious achievement to date. Despite this deep level of commitment and investment on our behalf and I can’t help feeling this magical little island keeps giving us even more in return.

Can’t wait for next year!