Meet Our Coorg Estate Partner

Coorg — or Kodagu, as the locals call it — sits in the Western Ghats of Karnataka at around 1,100 metres. It's one of India's oldest coffee-growing regions, and the source of some of our favourite lots.

The Estate

Our partner estate spans 45 acres of shade-grown Arabica, interspersed with pepper vines, cardamom, and silver oak trees. The canopy isn't just scenic — it regulates temperature, retains moisture, and creates a microclimate where coffee cherries ripen slowly, developing complex sugars.

The estate has been in the same family for three generations. They practice selective hand-picking: only ripe, red cherries make it to processing. It's labour-intensive, but it's the difference between a clean cup and a muddy one.

Processing

Most of the harvest goes through washed processing — pulped within hours of picking, fermented for 24–36 hours, then dried on raised beds. The result is a clean, bright profile with notes of citrus, jasmine, and milk chocolate.

A smaller portion is natural-processed: whole cherries dried on patios for 15–20 days, turned regularly. These coffees are fruitier — think blueberry, wine, dark honey.

Why It Matters

Indian specialty coffee doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Estates like this one are producing cups that rival anything from Ethiopia or Colombia. By sourcing directly and paying above commodity prices, we're investing in quality that benefits everyone — the farmer, the land, and your morning cup.