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93

Counter Culture Coffee

Papua New Guinea, Kuta Waghi Valley

Roaster Location: Durham, North Carolina
Coffee Origin: Waghi Valley, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Roast Level: Medium
Agtron: 54/64
Review Date: April 2009
Aroma: 8
Acidity: 8
Body: 8
Flavor: 9
Aftertaste: 8

Blind Assessment

Ken (93) and co-cupper Jennifer Stone (92) both remarked on the bright, richly floral character of the aroma. In the cup quietly vibrant acidity, smooth mouthfeel, continued gentle richness, with a flavor complex that combines lush night flowers with a sweet pungency pointing at cedar, caramel and deep-toned, carnal fruit: apricot, mango. Long, deep finish.

Notes

The high mountain valleys of central Papua New Guinea offer some of the world's most favorable terroirs for production of fine coffee. When these coffees, grown by local villagers, are carefully prepared by the traditional wet or washed method, as is the case with this coffee, they can rank among the world's finest. Counter Culture is a small-batch wholesale specialty roaster with an informative and lively website, a commitment to fine coffee and youthful, enthusiastic leadership. Visit www.counterculturecoffee.com or call 888-238-5282 for more information.

Who Should Drink It

A particularly refined and explicit expression of the pungent, tropical fruit and floral tendencies of small-holder Papua New Guineas. A breakfast cup that took a detour through the mango groves out to the beach.

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This review originally appeared in the April, 2009 tasting report: Papua New Guinea: Promise Only Partly Fulfilled

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About the Author: Kenneth Davids

Kenneth Davids is editor, chief writer and co-founder of Coffee Review. His latest book, 21st Century Coffee: A Guide is an unprecedentedly thorough survey of specialty coffee in all of its aspects, authoritative yet engaging. He has been involved with coffee since the early 1970s and has published three earlier books on coffee, including the influential Home Roasting: Romance and Revival, now in its second edition, and Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing and Enjoying, which has sold nearly 250,000 copies in five editions.

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