We are pleased to introduce our first coffee from India. It impressed us so much that we just had to have it. It’s perfect for the pre-Christmas time because it’s pleasantly spicy, sweet and with a slight rum twist.
The farm / washing station:
Saif is part of the third generation to grow coffee. After earning a Master’s degree in Management from Leeds Beckett University in 2015, Saif worked briefly for Tesco in Leeds, UK before returning to India to manage a coffee farm where he now lives with his parents and wife. He grows his coffee with a special emphasis on sustainability and uses environmentally friendly growing practices. The coffee trees are grown under the shade of several different species of trees, which are largely indigenous. The farm is located in the Baba Budan Giri area. The story goes that Baba Budan, a Sufi saint who was returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1670, smuggled seven coffee beans back to India from Yemen (at that time it was illegal to export coffee seeds from Arabia) and planted them in the Chandradrona Mountains of Karnataka.
The farm is adjacent to the Bhadra Tiger Reserve and provides sanctuary to many species of birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians. It also acts as a corridor for many wild animals. KaadKaapi is a collective organization in South India that takes care of the free movement and passage of animals in and around the farms. It promotes long-term sustainability by working with farmers in Chikmagalur and Coorg districts to introduce wildlife-friendly farming methods, providing financial and advisory support and access to premium international markets. This approach benefits both wildlife conservation and local farmers economically. Traditional coffee agroforests in the region help to conserve local biodiversity by providing alternative habitats for wildlife. However, changes in the market and the rising cost of cultivation are leading farmers to adopt practices that are damaging to biodiversity.
All varieties offered by KaadKaapi farmers, regardless of the location of their farm, are 100% Arabica. But perhaps to help understand the potential of these not-so-familiar varieties, it is a good idea to look at what the letters and numbers in their names mean. All the lots from the Gundikhan farm are of the Chandragiri variety.
Variety:
Chandragiri is a cross between Villa Sarchi and Hibrido de Timor. It is a relatively new variety that has gained a lot of interest in recent years. The beans are larger than other Indian varieties and the quality of the cups often surpasses them. This is why many farmers use chandragiri to replant their farmland when the time comes.
Processing:
Naturally processed coffee that has been fermented anaerobically for 72 hours with Lallemand Briosa yeast (yeast from Costa Rica). Then, the coffee beans were dried on raised beds inside a polyhouse for 20 days.
Our baristas notes:
Very pleasant clean coffee with dominant notes of spices. The first thing that struck us about the filter was how finely you have to grind it so that the coffee doesn’t run out too quickly. However, the resulting taste, even with a very fine grind, is beautifully sweet and full-bodied. The coffee has a medium body, lower acidity and a medium aftertaste. It is dominated by notes of clove, gingerbread and a jammy plum sweetness. There is a pleasant chocolate and rum in the finish, which is indicative of a longer fermentation of the coffee.
Recommended recipe for V60:
95 °C water
300ml water
20g coffee
300 micron grind (15 clicks per comandante)
0:00 40ml water
0:40 100 ml water
1:25 80ml water
2:05 80 ml water
Total time around 2:50.
