Delicately sweet, spices, almond, flowers and caramel flavors, sweet, gentle acidity, satiny mouthfeel, long rich drying spice-toned finish.
Roast: Medium
Processing: Wet Milled & Sun Dried
Altitude: 1300 - 1500 M.A.S.L.
Harvest: September (Main Crop) & January - February (Fly Crop)
12 oz. Handcrafted Fair Trade Coffee
On its own as a single origin coffee, or in a blend, ENGORA FTO coffee is reliable and adds value to the cup. It has the complexity and body to use as an espresso base. It is known for its rich syrupy body, fruity flavor, and high acidity.
HOAC (Highland Organic Agriculture Cooperative) is the producer group exported by Coffee Connections. It is one of the few Fair Trade groups registered in PNG. The group has invested their Fair Trade Premium in their community, building new classrooms and desks in the school and purchasing mattresses for local health centers.
The area of production lies in the mountainous Eastern Highlands near the town of Okapa. The coffee grows in very rich, dark red/brown volcanic soil. The coffee is hand picked when it is bright red and dried in the sun. The parchment is covered at night to protect it from the early morning dew. Due to the remote location of the coffee, the trees have never had exposure to chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and the water for the centralized wet mill is taken from a pristine stream. Getting the coffee from the farms to the world is quite a feat due to the geography and lack of infrustructure. The wet mill is situated about 40 miles as the bird flies south of Goroka, but is a six hour drive in a 4x4 vehicle, or a 25 minute small plane. The roads track the mountain ridges and during the rainy season they become impassable. The coffee is trucked out using 4 wheel drive, tractor & trailer when conditions permit.
There are presently 2604 village farmers registered and living amongst the 32 village communities spread over 500 km in the Purosa valley region in the Eastern Highlands. These growers support about 12,000 family members. Coffee is the only cash crop for these producers apart from a few local vegetables. The HOAC members are all village growers who tend their small plots of coffee and individually process in their villages following organic and sustainable agricultural practices.