Papua New Guinea Wahgi Valley

ROASTING IN JANUARY
In Papua New Guinea’s western highlands sits a broad, high-elevation plateau where the soil is almost improbably rich. The land stretches out in a flat expanse, circled by distant mountains and blanketed in soft cloud cover almost daily—it’s in this environment that this month’s limited release, smallholder-grown coffee thrives. Meet Papua New Guinea Wahgi Valley.

FIRST THINGS FIRST
In the cup, this dark roast is a hearty, savory-sweet coffee with a real sense of presence: think notes of cured tobacco, burnt sugar, and baked plum. It’s the kind of coffee that feels familiar yet intriguing, with a long, lingering finish.

GET DEEP WITH US
What sets this coffee apart is the way its environment and processing come through so clearly in the cup. Up on the rare high-elevation plateau on which it grows, the coffee benefits from an abundance of fresh water and a traditional washed process that sharpens its clarity while preserving its naturally rich depth. Sip and you’ll find subtle layers beyond the core profile—whispers of wild herb, cocoa powder, and even a touch of savory umami that hint at tomato or nori—held together by a plush, velvety texture that makes each sip feel substantial. 

YOU BREW YOU
This full-bodied, quietly complex coffee rewards slow brewing: Press Pot or Chemex will bring out its richness, while single-origin espresso showcases its long, resonant finish. Try it multiple brewing methods, and even give an at-home cupping a go to experience all the depth this limited release dark roast has to offer.

NOTES FROM THE PEET’S ROASTERY
When the beans first arrived at The Roastery, they were mostly small and uniformly shaped. A few had a bit of coppery colored silver skin still present, but on the whole, we found a mix of medium and light olive-green and no visible defects. When we first opened the bag, there was a winey aroma that faded quickly and was replaced by a grain and grass smell.

This coffee roasted consistently but took a little finessing at the finish. First crack was loud with a rapid build to consensus, and second crack was also loud—a reliable cue to reduce heat at the finish. The color changed slowly and it took more sample pulls than usual to get it to the correct look and color, but we got it there. While roasting, the fruit aromatics were more bittersweet than some other PNG roasts, but the herby and peppery notes were familiar.

After roasting, we cupped four different Wahgi Valley roast profiles with 7 tasters, blind and randomized. It was a great session and after a bit of back and forth (we love a lively discussion!), we aligned on one—our first offering of 2026.

The winner (aka the coffee that you’ll taste at home) best captures the characteristics we love in Papua New Guinea coffees. It’s rich, warming, and herbaceous with a lively acidity. It’s complex and delicious, with a mélange of tasting notes, including dark chocolate, chestnut, and lemon zest, with pipe tobacco in the finish.

-John Nicolini and Michael Madden, Roasters; Jamie Smith, R&D



PEET’S LIMITED RELEASE COFFEES
You might think that a monthly coffee subscription sounds amazing in and of itself, but Peet’s coffee-of-the-month takes it a step further than most. Good things come in small packages, and we only get these coffees in small batches, which is why you can only find them at peets.com and only for a month at a time. They’re special. And while you don’t have to be a Small Batch Coffee subscriber to experience these amazing coffees, their fleeting nature means they can sell out—fast. So subscribing guarantees you get to taste each one of these incredibly special lots.