Wamena Baliem

The Baliem Valley lies deep in the central highlands of Papua, reachable from the coast only by air, and Wamena is its one town. Coffee came here in the twentieth century and is grown in small garden plots alongside sweet potato, mostly without fertiliser or pesticide simply because none arrive. Cherries are washed and dried by the families who grow them, then flown out in small lots, which is why Wamena is the rarest and most expensive coffee in our set. The altitude and isolation produce a delicate cup: white floral aromatics, ripe stone fruit like peach and apricot, and a clean honey sweetness with a light, silky body. We roast it light so none of that gets lost. Brew it carefully and drink it without milk; this is the pouch to share with someone who takes coffee seriously.