Five Senses Coffee Blog

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

Adventures of an amateur tea wallah!

I’ve always had a fascination with chai tea ever since I made my first steaming, aromatic cup many years ago. It may have had something to do with the cute kiwi girl with a taste for jazz and a strawberry birthmark on her cheek who was in charge of the tea preparation! Anyway, I digress. Back to tea!

With the pending introduction of our new tea range (watch this space for more details) we found our self with some high quality black tea “surplus to needs” and I immediately put it aside as a base tea for some Chai. Literally translated chai just means tea but the word Chai in Australia typically means a spiced tea.

After a little bit of google homework I felt sufficiently equipped to get cracking.

First stop was the iconic Kakulas Bros store in Northbridge to load up with some spices. If you’ve never been into Kakulas, it’s an amazing experience with a staggering array of “loose” products priced by the kilo. They manage to cover a broad array of ingredients for many different ethnic cuisines with an increasing range of organic products. True to its Greek heritage its strictly “cash only”, love it!!

Loaded up with star anise, cinnamon, cardamom pods, black pepper, clove and fennel seeds I headed home to start some experimenting. In the past I’ve often weighted my judgement of Chai too highly on the visible spices, the big chunky pieces that are easy to see. I now realise that the visible spices are largely for show and unless you’re doing a traditional slow brewed Chai, the typical percolation times in a cafe of around four minutes are too fast to actually extract any flavours from whole spices. So a nice mix of ground spice for “go” and whole spice “for show” is the formula I settled on.

Whilst grinding and blending I was constantly reminded of the incredible power smell has to evoke the memories of a certain place or time. Smelling the sweet, spiciness of the cloves I was immediately reminded of Rosella Chutney and cheese and chutney sandwiches after school. Smelling the cardamom reminded me of an old sweet potato and cardamom ice cream recipe (better than it sounds, trust me!) that was popular what seems like a lifetime ago.

And the most powerful of all was tasting the final result after hours of blending and adjusting … I swear I could hear some jazz playing softly in the background!!!

Shaughan's amateur tea making

Tags: Chai, tea

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!

A day to remember

Today was one of those days when I need to pinch myself to remember I’m actually at work! Deano had joined the team and we headed up to Ulian Murni to check on our preparation experiments and make sure everything was going to plan. The washed sample was still in need of some more fermentation time so we left it in the capable hands of Made Sukerta to finish later in the day. With everything squared away we set off for Kerta Waringin for a cupping with the local farmers and some representatives from Tri Karya where we had built the nursery earlier in the trip.

Whilst waiting for the Subak head to arrive from a meeting we sat down with Putu Pancha the head man from Tri Karya to discuss what financial support we can offer them in the massive project to plant out the seedlings when the time comes.

We have learnt a lot about negotiating in the years we have been working in Bali. There is a widely held perception by the locals that westerners have an endless supply of money that they can be easily parted from. Straight out charity does not work. It destroys the dynamics of the relationship and prevents the formation of a true partnership. We emphasised our long term commitment to the farmers of Tri Karya and arrived at an amount that will allow them to plant out about seven hectares of coffee early next year. There will be a significant amount of labour required that will be worked out equitably amongst the farmers in their typically democratic and community orientated way.

Once the negotiations had finished Putu moved closer to me and fixed my eyes and gave a very sincere thanks to me as a representative of Five Senses. Very emotional!

Meeting with Putu Pancha the head man from Tri Karya in Bali

Meeting with Putu Pancha

Tags: Bali, Five Senses Coffee

The Fresh Prince takes the honors

Wow, its been a big couple of days! We ventured to Seminyak to hang out at Sea Circus for a low key barista jam. As usual the barista crew couldn’t keep themselves away from the gleaming synesso and were soon side by side with the local baristas sending out the orders. We staged a little latte art smackdown with Brad “the fresh prince” Nixon taking out the honours in a closely fought battle. After a few hours it was time to bid an emotional farewell to the Captain, Mat, Chris and Amy as they were staying beachside until their flights back to Oz later in the day.

We headed back to Ubud to do some barista training and machine maintenance at Indus and Casa Luna. Dashing Dave Carnaby replaced possibly the filthiest, most clogged shower screens on the planet and we soon had the ageing Rancilio humming.

Jen reported great progress at Casa Luna with many of the staff busting out some great latte art with confidence. Our boy Komang has obviously been doing some in house training of his own. Stay tuned for our next instalment as we pulled out the buckets and got down and dirty (and a little sunburnt) and started to pick our 90kgs of cherry for our processing trial!

Latte art smackdown Bali style!

There's only one Captain!

Dashing Dave gets "his Bali on"

Blessing the grinder, they take their coffee seriously!