PNG - SIGRI ESTATE - PEABERRIES - WASHED

In the fertile heart of Papua New Guinea’s famed Wahgi Valley, Sigri Estate stands as one of the country’s most respected coffee producers. Established in the 1950s and now part of the WR Carpenter Estates, Sigri has helped define what great PNG coffee can be — clean, balanced, and expressive, despite the rugged and often challenging growing conditions of the Highlands.

What makes this lot truly special are its peaberries — the naturally occurring single, rounded beans that form inside about 4–6% of the coffee cherries. These beans are denser and typically sweeter than flat beans, and when combined with Sigri’s meticulous washed processing, they yield a cup of remarkable clarity and depth. 

PRODUCERS

This coffee comes directly from Sigri Estate, a historic plantation in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. Unlike most coffee in PNG — which is traditionally grown in small forest gardens and pooled together — Sigri operates as a single estate plantation, cultivating and processing its own cherries. The estate places a strong emphasis on sustainable cultivation: medium-density shade, no artificial pesticides or herbicides, and conservation practices that support native biodiversity, including over 90 species of birds

ALTITUDE AND LOCATION

Region: Wahgi Valley, Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

Altitude: Approximately 1,550 – 1,600 meters above sea level

Topography & Climate: Volcanic soils, steady rainfall, cool mountain climate — all contribute to slow cherry maturation, dense bean development, and rich flavour complexity.

PROCESSING – PEABERRIES & WASHED METHOD

Sigri’s washed process reflects the high-standard wet-milling tradition that sets PNG coffees apart:

Hand-Harvesting: Fully ripe cherries are picked selectively.

Immediate Pulping: Cherries are pulped shortly after harvest to separate the beans from the fruit.

Fermentation & Washing: The parchment undergoes an extended three-day fermentation, with daily rinsing and an optional full-immersion step — a technique that promotes even fermentation, softness in acidity, and sweet clarity.

Sun Drying: Beans are dried on raised beds or patios until optimal moisture is achieved, then hulled and meticulously sorted (densimetric sorting and double hand-sorting for peaberries).

Because peaberry beans are rounder and denser than typical flat beans, they often develop more concentrated sugars and intense flavour profiles when dried and roasted.

TASTING PROFILE

Sigri Estate’s washed peaberries are known for:

Aromatics: spice-toned sweetness with floral highlights.

Flavour: layered notes of clove, cinnamon, green apple, cocoa nib, and melon-like sweetness.

Structure: crisp yet silky body with balanced acidity and a clean, lingering finish — often with a nuanced tropical fruit undertone

This cup bridges the chocolatey richness and smooth sweetness typically associated with PNG coffees while retaining a clarity and refined acidity uncommon for coffees of this origin

COFFEE DETAILS

Coffee Grade: Peaberry (PB) – Washed
Farm/Producer: Sigri Estate – WR Carpenter Estates
Varietal: Typica Peaberries (selected)
Processing: Fully washed, extended fermentation & careful washing
Altitude: ~1,550–1,600 m.a.s.l.
Region: Wahgi Valley, Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea
Farm Size: ~125 hectares (estate)