Our First Ever Coffee From Papua New Guinea

A country that is on many (coffee) traveler’s bucket lists: Papua New Guinea. Remote, exotic, and still considered a last frontier on many levels.

From a coffee perspective, PNG is often still considered uncharted territory for high-end or specialty coffee. Our import partners, Interamerican Coffee, did an amazing job of showcasing some of PNG’s best lots earlier this year. It is during this showcase cupping where we tasted the AM Kwongi, and the fruit forward and clean flavour profile stood out instantly.

This is the first coffee Maker has sourced from PNG, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to showcase such a tasty lot as the first for this origin. 

Mr. Wilson Mathias, a dedicated smallholder farmer and enterprising family man with seven children, operates AM Kwongi to source premium smallholder coffee across eight council wards in the Kwongi and Namta areas. Located within the pristine Upper Asaro Rural Local Level Government (LLG) boundary in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, his operation is deeply integrated into the local economy. Alongside running AM Kwongi, Wilson manages a small trade store and operates two trucks dedicated to passenger transit and coffee freight, providing a vital logistical link for his community. The smallholder communities he serves thrive in a breathtaking tropical highland environment at elevations ranging from 1,500 to 2,300 meters. This pristine landscape features fast-flowing rivers, natural forests, and vast grasslands. While daily life centers on subsistence agriculture—primarily cultivating sweet potatoes and raising pigs for social and ceremonial exchange—coffee farming serves as a crucial economic lifeline, providing essential supplementary income in this remote and challenging terrain.

The coffee sourced by AM Kwongi consists of Typica and Bourbon varieties. Grown on small family plots averaging less than one hectare, each household produces an average of eight bags (under 500 kg) of green coffee per season. The entire production process is intensely traditional: cherries are meticulously picked, pulped, washed, and dried completely by hand to be sold as parchment. This seasonal harvest begins with pickups in April, reaches its peak in June, and tapers off by August.

The importance given to quality control during post harvest processing is evident in the fruity flavour profile of this coffee, a sweet rooibos tea and strawberry-like sweetness is complimented by a confectionary sweetness akin to shortbread. At the Maker roastery we’re excited to roast this washed process coffee from AM Kwongi as a delicious and syrupy espresso for our customers. 

In recent years, Planadas has become a hub for coffee production and is now considered one of the top coffee producing regions within Colombia. 

This municipality was established in 1932 by the Spanish Jesuit priest Fermin Larrazabal who at the time guided a group of people from Huila and Antioquia to establish a settlement in a plateau near the river Atá, which is where Planadas is located. Due to his name, Fermin, and in relation to the world-famous San Fermin festivities in Pamplona (Spain) is where this brand gets its name. Both Fermin Larrazabal and the festivities embody aspects which describe the producers from this area: audacity, courage, joy, and togetherness. This region suffered heavily from the internal conflict of Colombia and the guerrilla groups, but even though with this situation the coffee farmers of the area kept pushing forward and with resilience were able to keep producing amazing quality coffee. This municipality is surrounded by mountains of the central cordillera of Colombia and full of creeks and rivers that go down to the Atá River, having great nutritious soils for the production of coffee. Our sourcing partner for this coffee, Caravela has been purchasing coffee in the area in direct relationship with producers since 2007, and in 2013 the brand San Fermin was born with initially 30 producers contributing to it.

The producers of San Fermin are resilient and driven, and at the same time joyful and family driven. It is common to visit them and see they work on the farm as a family with every member contributing in some aspect of the farm such as drying, keeping the records of production, administration and more. Traditionally the varieties they started working with were Castillo, Typica, Caturra and Colombia but nowadays the varieties that are seen more in order of greater to lesser volume are Castillo, Colombia, Caturra, Typica, Bourbon, Tabi, Gesha and Catimore. Since San Fermin started, the life of the producers has changed for the better with the production of high-quality coffee, having nowadays better quality of life and living conditions.

At the farm level, the producers have made changes such as with different varieties, seeing an improvement in the phytosanitary and nutritional conditions of the trees, improvements in the wet mill and drying areas. Some of the producers have even bought more land to have a bigger production. 

This is the second coffee that Maker has purchased from the producers of San Fermin, and we are delighted to offer this beautiful natural processed coffee roasted for Espresso to our customers. For natural processed coffees, the coffee producers of San Fermin begin by carefully picking ripe cherries. Some producers float the cherries to remove less dense, defective cherries and foreign material such as leaves. The cherries are then fermented without water for 30 to 36 hours in a traditional, tiled, covered tank in open air. They are then taken to the drying area, which can range from rooftop patios with retractable roofs (known as Casa Heldas), to parabolic covered patios or raised drying beds. Depending on the farm’s climate, drying can take between 30 to 35 days. Once dried, the coffee is sometimes stored on the farm for one to two weeks. The grower then delivers the coffee to the purchasing station in Planadas, where it is analyzed by a Quality Analyst to determine its quality. A representative sample undergoes a rigorous physical analysis, including measurements of moisture content, water activity, and physical defects. It is then evaluated through sensory analysis, which ultimately determines its quality grade. From there, the parchment coffee is sent to the dry mill in Armenia for processing before being shipped to port. 



Our parternship with Caravela has been fruitful in many ways, including the discovery of delicious small producer regions such as San Fermin. This coffee is our latest Espresso offering, with delicious tasting notes of Grapefruit and Strawberry with sweet White Chocolate finish. We are also delighted with how it tastes as a filter brew. We will be showcasing it as our Seasonal Natural filter till the end of the year. 

Huehuetenango is one of Guatemala’s most important specialty coffee regions, located in the far western highlands near the Mexican border. Its coffees are grown at very high elevations—often 1,500–2,000 metres—on steep mountain slopes in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes. This altitude, combined with a relatively dry, windy microclimate, produces dense, slow-ripening coffee cherries that are known for bright acidity, floral aromatics, and fruit-forward complexity, often with chocolate and citrus undertones. 

Coffee production in Huehuetenango is dominated by smallholder farmers, many from Indigenous Maya communities, who often process their coffee themselves due to the region’s remoteness and limited infrastructure. This has helped shape a distinctive “micro-lot” culture where quality and experimentation vary widely from farm to farm.

Los Ancestros grows in the mountains surrounding the Mayan site of Zaculeu in Huehuetenango, once the capital of the Mam Kingdom. Known as the “place of the elders,” the region reflects a rich Indigenous heritage. Since 2016, Caravela has worked with more than 80 small- and medium-scale farmers here, producing coffees with notes of red fruits, lime, honey, chocolate, and vanilla, shaped by diverse microclimates, altitudes, and the dedication of its producers.

Grown on landholdings of 0.5 to 5 hectares, this coffee is hand picked when fully ripe off the coffee trees and pulped the same day. The coffee is then fermented without water for 18-36 hours and washed after fermentation. This unique washed process gives this coffee a fruit-forward flavour profile, with notes of strawberry and ripe apricot standing out, and a sweet marzipan finish gives it the perfect balance.

The name Matambo originates from a famous Colombian myth: the love story between Mirthayú, the beautiful queen of the Michués (which was a native pre-Hispanic tribe) and her lover the giant Matambo who was the most valiant warrior in the region. The legend says Matambo was so strong and ferocious that he alone could fight an entire army to defend his people.

The Gigante region fondly remembers the stories from the golden age of heroes and battles between tribes and it is evident that the spirit lives on amongst the community here in a more agricultural sense today. 

The growers in this region share the same strength and dedication as Matambo once did, showing their utmost care for the land and collective protection of the coffee growing community.

This lot comes to us at Maker in Australia from second and third generation farmers in Colombia whose passion and hard work are evident in the cup quality, as is their inspiration coming from their namesake in the Matambo legend.

The Matambo growers have also experienced an interest from the children of the coffee producers who are at school and learning more about how coffee is grown and managed. This is a rarity these days as coffee production in many parts of Colombia and South America is not seen as a particularly profitable pursuit in the future, with the changing climate and many years of hard labour required to manage the land.

The coffee growing culture in Gigante gives us hope that there’s a bright future still to be found in agriculture from Colombia and we’re delighted to present you with the latest seasonal iteration of our favourite espresso The Maven. 

This new lot was picked and processed in June-July this year and shipped in August, so you can be sure this new Maven is as fresh as it gets. 

We are finding the classic Maven profile stays true to form with the new Matambo caturra, columbia and castillo varieties. Silky smooth milk chocolate on the palate, with beautifully balanced aromas of citrus fruits and red apple. 

You can BUY the latest seasonal Maven on our website and in all the Maker Cafes across Melbourne. 

We’re betting big on Peru this year, having sourced some stunning coffees from the Andean highlands of Cajamarca. Cajamarca, nestled in the north of Peru, is a region renowned for its breathtaking mountainous landscapes and thriving coffee production. The majestic peaks of the Andes Mountains adorn the horizon, creating a stunning backdrop for this vibrant department. But it's not just the mountains that capture the imagination; Cajamarca is also celebrated for its rich coffee heritage. In recent years, it has emerged as the largest coffee-producing region in Peru, with picturesque coffee farms dotting its highland terrain. The combination of its awe-inspiring natural beauty and the aroma of freshly grown coffee make Cajamarca a true gem of South America.

La Danta is a blend of coffees produced in the highlands of San Ignacio and Jaen in Cajamarca.The blend is named after the Andean Tapir, also known as the mountain Danta. In Quechua,"sacha huagra" means "mountain Danta." The Andean tapir, an endangered herbivore, is commonly found roaming the Andes, especially in northern Cajamarca.

The farmers who contribute to La Danta have learned about coffee through generations, with some of the farms being established by their grandparents in 1980, dedicated from the beginning to co?ee production. Over the generations, they have been motivated to seek quality coffee, observing how the market has evolved, as many of them initially started selling conventional coffee. In recent years, they have improved their processing techniques and facilities and have adopted new coffee varieties, leading to enhanced quality and better prices.

The newer generations have begun attending works-hops, searching for information online, and seeking advice from seasoned and experienced neighbors to refine their processes. They consistently value the resources generated within their own farms and manage them appropriately. The producers receive personalized visits from the PECA Educators and attend workshops to produce organic fertilizers using organic waste from the farm. This approach has helped producers become more conscious of their environmental impact.

This washed processed lot from the producers of La Danta is of the Bourbon variety, commonly found in Peru. With complex notes of nectarine and sweet lime and a coating sweetness of marzipan, this community lot is an easy winner for your daily cup. 

We are so pleased to present to you, the latest iteration of the Seasonal Filter Natural, a natural process heirloom variety from Guji, Ethiopia. This delicious coffee is brought to you by the fantastic producers and team of the Hambela Wamena washing station.

The Hambela Wamena Washing Station was founded in 2018 by the founder of Tega & Tula farms. Its location at the top of the highest mountain peak of Guji Hambela makes it a central point to serve surrounding towns and it currently serves around 3,900 producers. There are a number of social programs supported by this washing station including the building of roads, schools, and technical equipment and support for producers as well as medical health expenses and support for women's health care.

We sourced this coffee with the help of our import partners at Cafe Imports, cupping through multiple rounds of samples to find the right coffee for our Seasonal Filter natural. Our goal at Maker Coffee is to source and buy excellent coffees, and promote the hard work done at origin by the coffee producers. It is our privilege to bring to you the latest filter release of 2026 at Maker Coffee, sourced with care from the producers of the villages near Hamebla Wamena Washing Station.