India is an uncommon but interesting specialty coffee origin. Coffee came to the South-Asian nation around the 17th century, but it wasn’t until 1840 that, under British colonial rule, large-scale formal production began. Traditionally, coffee grown in India has primarily been Robusta, Arabica’s hardier and more bitter cousin, which is less susceptible to leaf rust and easier to grow in large quantities. These days, however, the specialty coffee scene in India has grown, and while it still doesn’t feature nearly as often on our shelves as its African and American counterparts, we’re always excited to have it around.

This particular lot, roasted by our friends at Origin Coffee Roasting, comes from Ratnagiri, a farm located in India’s South-Eastern Karnataka district whose name translates to “Pearl Mountain”, a reference to the silver oak canopy that shades the farm’s coffee trees. The estate has been in owner-operator Ashok Patre’s family for several generations, passed down to him by his father who received it from his father. Green exporter Covoya, from whom this coffee is sourced, has worked with Ashok continuously for six seasons now, and claims that “this farm [consistently produces] the best Indian coffees on our cupping table, season after season.”

This particular lot is of the Cauvery variety, more commonly known as Catimor, a hybrid that inherits its high-yield and flavour quality from the famous Caturra variety, and its resilience from the “Hybrid-de-Timor” (Timor Hybrid) variety. It has also been processed first naturally, meaning the skin and flesh of the coffee cherry was left intact for the initial fermentation stage of processing, and subsequently via an innovative new technique called carbonic maceration. 

Inspired by the wine industry, carbonic maceration entails fermenting coffee cherry in an airtight tank into which carbon dioxide is pumped. The coffee is kept under strictly controlled conditions for several days, 90 hours in this instance. In this environment unique acids are released during fermentation that can result in some truly interesting flavours in the cup, like fermented fruit notes and a crisp, wine-like acidity.

Origin’s notes

• Flavour: Wine, strawberries, peach, sweet nectar, fruit cocktail, chocolate and nuts
• Body: Full
• Acidity: Complex, fruity
• Roast: Light
• Suggested brewing methods: Siphon, V60, plunger, espresso, milk-based drinks

Coffee details from Origin

• Country: India
• Region: Bababudangiri, Western Ghats
• Estate: Ratnagiri Estate
• Owner/producer: Ashok Patre
• Altitude: 1,300 - 1,450 masl
• Variety: Cauvery/Catimor
• Processing: Natural, 90 hour carbonic maceration