This coffee has grown immensely popular for us. Was recently featured in the Coffee Lab Report in Roast magazine, and recently highlighted on coffeecupper.com.

Here's what the latter had to say about it:

Papua New Guinea - Kunjun
July 1, 2007 Paradise Roasters Combined
This will be a combined review, both of us having received samples. For a description of Bob and Jim's evaluation procedure, see our reference page.

Kunjun operates on a "nucleus estate" model, a large grower or plantation acting as a central hub, servicing smaller growers and block holders, assisting them with agricultural advice on pruning and fertilizer scheduling. They also provide transportation for the coffee cherries, access to discounts resulting from large volume purchases and the supply of seedlings. The estate is progressive in its farming and environmental practices and contributes ten percent of its profits to the farming community.

At 5,500 feet above sea level, in what was once a swamp, this coffee gets abundant rainfall and rich nutrients from the thick, black topsoil. These fertile conditions give the coffee its acidity, round body and herbal notes.

Bob's Review:
This is my favorite kind of PNG. It's complex and ever-changing as it cools bringing new layers of flavor with each succeeding slurp. Overall it's got a sweet, berry marmalade fruitiness with a "zap" of dill, surrounded by notes of buttered toast. And yet the cup is oh so clean and aromatic. As it cools, the fruit goes dark, dry and raisin-like while the dill turns to cedar. A smokey quality, only hinted at when the cup is hot, emerges as it cools. The cup is a delight.

Jim's Review:
Tasters are going to split on this coffee. The dominant taste in the hot cup is a very clean, fresh turpenny or creosote taste that is a part of the origin flavor, and more plant-like than petrochemical style of distillates one gets in darker roasts. As the cup cools and in the finish, brown sugar, plums, and raisin flavors come to the fore, while the turpenny recedes into a pleasant succulence. The cup reflects the prep; it is immaculately pure and ripe, with none of the brothy or salty tastes that mar many PNG coffees. I found initial flavors slightly unbalanced and gave a somewhat lower score than tasters who enjoy a predominant distillate flavor. In general, those who like very high toned coffees won't like this one; those who like low toned ones will think this review unfairly low.?

I added a cuppers point for the exceptionally clean cup, and excellent sweetness.

This coffee works well as espresso, especially for those who like a little smokiness.

Bobs Score
Dry Fragrance: 4.6
Wet Aroma: 4.5
Flavor: 7.8
Finish: 8.5
Acidity: 7.9
Body: 6.7
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TOTAL (subtotal + 50): 90.0

Jim's Score
Dry fragrance: 3.75
Wet Aroma: 4.0
Flavor: 8.0
Finish: 9.0
Acidity: 7.5
Body: 6.0
Cupper's Correction: 1.0
_________________
TOTAL (subtotal + 50): 89.75

Lighter Roasts: Smokey, fruity, dill, origin flavors make this coffee taste darker
than it looks.
Darker Roasts: No need; this coffee has dark roast flavors at lighter roasts.
As Espresso: A deep toned, smokey shot with plenty of brown sugar and dried fruit..

We will be running out of this coffee before the next shipment arrives. Expect to see new Kunjun in August.

Another review by coffeecuppers.com for our new Aged Sumatra Lintong:

Sumatra - Aged Lintong
July 1, 2007 Paradise Roasters Combined
This will be a combined review, both of us having received samples. For a description of Bob and Jim's evaluation procedure, see our reference page.

Two years ago, George Howell started sourcing Lintongs aged in climate controlled warehouses in Malaysia. Jim reviewed two of them, and both were standouts in terms of cleanliness and purity of flavor, very unusual for aged coffees, but a signature of George Howell's approach to coffee. I'm glad to say that other roasters and importers have taken note, and are also searching out these rare coffees. This sample is a 2004 Lintong being offered by Miguel Meza of Paradise Roasters. Lintongs are in general well prepped, and this lot is superb. This is especially important in an aged bean, and this lot is very uniform, rather than the mix of light and dark brown beans one finds in most aged coffees.

Bob's Review:
This is an extraordinary coffee in many regards. First of all, the prep is exemplary. The beans are near perfect, 18 screen and larger and after roasting, the beans are like nuggets of gold, evenly colored and deceptively huge. The aromatics in the roaster and after grinding are filled with unfamiliar spices and molasses.

And then there's the cup profile...ah, the cup. To describe it as a rainbow of flavors doesn't do it justice. It taxes the senses and memory of flavors to try and discern and separate some of these. In the higher end of the spectrum, the spices sensed in the roaster and the dry, ground coffee are confirmed in the cup. Coming down the line, various fruits come to the forefront; most prominent of them are stone fruit, strawberries and pineapple. Moving on we encounter a very slight brothy, bacon-like flavor and the inevitable hint of smoky wood that is a hallmark of the aged coffees from Sumatra and India. This and their syrupy body are also qualities that give these coffees their uniqueness.

And yet there is still another surprise - the acidity. This coffee doesn't just lay there in its sweetness; its finely tuned acidity frames and brings out the rest.

And now a cautionary note: One might think that a dark roast would do this coffee justice but this is not so. I made the mistake of roasting it to near second crack and the coffee lost its soul. Then, taking Miguel's advice, I stopped the roast, just out of first crack, and all of the poetry above, emerged. It was a good lesson. I didn't heed the advice I've so often given others; a great Sumatra will show its greatness, its sweetness and body at lighter roast levels. Over-roasting will nearly destroy its subtle flavors and bring a pungent woodiness. Try this for yourselves.

Jim's Review:
As is my custom for aged coffees, I deviated from my normal 425F in 11 minute cupping profile, and went to a 430F in 13 minute profile. The extra time is spent in the run up to the first crack, to bring out the woody flavors that are the signature of these coffees.

Quite simply, this is the best aged coffee I've ever had. Readers will notice that I gave it a 10 for taste. This does not mean it's the best coffee I've ever tasted, but that it is completely perfect for aged coffee. The flavor is oak, vanilla, ample sweetness that's so clean it's closer to honey than molasses, and hints of chocolate. This coffee is not quite as focused and clean as Terroir's, but it is more complex, deeper toned, and a more complete cup. After my jaw got back in place, I cupped it against an XO brandy, and the aged wood flavors were actually better and smoother in the coffee.

The espresso was another surprise. Most aged coffee beans are so soft that it is almost impossible to get an SO shot, since the grind has too few fines. This coffee is not quite as aged, and makes a proper shot if one grinds fine enough. The flavor is again perfect, and while unbalanced, it is an experience not to be missed. If you are going to blend an aged with very light toned, delicate coffees, the Terroir aged will work better; but this one makes an archetypal Mocha-Java with any middle toned Yemen, DP Ethiopian or even a darker toned Kenya.

This coffee will make a very good dark roast, but I recommend against it. A slow roast stopped when the second crack starts early, while the color is still medium, will bring out the full complexity of the aged flavors.

Bobs Score
Dry Fragrance: 4.8
Wet Aroma: 4.5
Flavor: 8.9
Finish: 8.8
Acidity: 6.5
Body: 8.5
________________________________
TOTAL (subtotal + 50): 92.0

Jim's Score
Dry fragrance: 4.5
Wet Aroma: 4.5
Flavor: 10.0
Finish: 9.0
Acidity: 5.5
Body: 8.5
_________________
TOTAL (subtotal + 50): 92.0

Lighter Roasts: Take it slow. Vanilla, oak, spice, fruit and honey.
Darker Roasts: Chocolate at medium roasts, mollases at darker ones with emerging woodinesss.
As Espresso: Works brilliantly as an SO, and even better as a blend.

We've still got plenty of this coffee. Get yours today!

We are awaiting the arrival of a new coffee from Hawaii's big island. This coffee is from the Aroma Farms of the Kau region. Coffees from Kau placed in the top 10 at the SCAA cupping pavillion. Price-wise, it will rival the Konas, but cup-wise, it's blowing what we've seen from Kona out of the water.

Some more specific information:
Ka'u is way far south, the southernmost area in the U.S. It is a one of the most remote and rural areas in Hawaii. This area does not have good beaches and therefore no resorts, yet.

This coffee is of the typica varietal, and is grown at 1900 feet.

There is an interesting story about how these farmers came upon the seedstock for their farms. Back in the late 1800's, an Australian ship's captain by the name of Serle lived in this area. He obtained land and started a coffee business, but his venture did not prosper because of the lack of labor available. In those days the sugar plantations took up all the labor. So his fields were abandoned, however these "heirloom" trees have served as a source for the two coffee farms that you are buying lots from. This also serves as much of the typica stock on Kau.
The farmers are largely Filipino immigrants. Many of them came here to work on the sugar plantation, which closed up in 1996. With the closing, people had to find alternate sources of revenue and some of the more entepreneurial planted coffee. Aroma farm was planted from 1999-2001.
The season generally runs Sept-Dec, however this last year was very late, Dec-April. Last year was an interesting year weather-wise. It rained continuously from mid-February through the end of March. I think there was a statistic that the sun actually shone for 20 hours through the whole of March.

For more information, check out this link for an article published in the Honolulu Advertiser:
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Jul/01/bz/FP707010330.html

We expect this coffee in our warehouse early August. Thanks!