India: Baba Budan Giri Coffee - Single Origin - 100% Arabica

Country: India
Region: Chikmagalur, Karnataka
Estate: MG Plantation
Elevation: 1200 - 1400 MASL
Variety: S795 and Chandragiri
Process: Red Honey
Tasting notes: Yellow Plum, Starfruit and Nougat

Our Indian coffee is back by popular demand. After a brief now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t moment, such was the popularity of our first foray into speciality coffee there.

India is more renowned for its tea production and robusta coffee varietals, however in recent years the quality of it’s Arabica has improved beyond all recognition .

This coffee comes from Baba Budan Giri and owes it name to the legend of coffee's arrival into India. It is believed that the Sufi saint Baba Budan was so enthralled by coffee on his travels through the Middle East that he decided to smuggle 7 Yemeni coffee beans into India,  hidden in his beard. He planted them in Chandragiri, Karnataka; an area now known as Baba Budan Giri (meaning Baba Budan hill). India is now the 6th largest coffee producing country in the world, with Karnataka contributing to 70% of production.

Processing:

The beans are grown to their optimal maturity stage and undergo selective harvesting, where only perfectly ripe beans are picked.

These beans are honey processed, meaning their pulp is removed and they are dried with some of the cherries' mucilage remaining.

Red honey processing is when the beans are removed from the cherry and around half of the mucilage is removed, they are dried under shade trees to increase humidity and prolong the drying phase.

The beans undergo semi-anaerobic fermentation for 48 hours, altering the resulting sugars, they are then dried on raised beds for 15 to 20 days.

This processing results in a full-bodied flavour and fruity notes of yellow-plum and starfruit, with a touch of caramel/nougat. 

The Farm:

This coffee is grown on the MG plantation, which is a fourth generation, 180 acre farm. Their primary focus is the cultivation of S795 and Chandragiri varietals. The abundance of large, indigenous trees on the plantation results in outstanding growing conditions that emulate natural ecological relationships, in which the large canopy of shade trees provides protection for the coffee plants.

The plantation work closely with Ekata, a team of coffee professionals who process the coffee. The group is comprised of 7 lifelong friends from Kerala. Their goal is to process high-quality, shade-grown coffees, cultivated in biodiverse areas. Their mission is to capitalise on the excellent terroir of the MG plantation and achieve organic certifications in 3 to 4 years.