Why we like this coffee
A seriously fun coffee that shows a completely different side to Indian specialty coffee. Rare!
 
Our taste notes
Strawberry, Bubble Gum, Mixed Fruit Jam
 
Description
India might not be the first country that comes to mind when you think about modern specialty coffee, but that's exactly why we're excited about it this, continuing our personal love affair with discovering amazing coffees from India! 
 
This coffee comes from Bisal Munti Estate, a 45-acre family farm in Malavalli, Karnataka, run by producer Susheel Gyanchand. Sitting at around 650 metres above sea level, Bisal Munti is unusual for high quality Arabica production. Rather than relying on high altitude and cooler temperatures, coffee here is grown within a carefully managed agroforestry system, under the shade of arecanut palms and alongside pepper vines. This particular lot is Selection 13, also known as Chandragiri, an Indian Arabica variety developed for its combination of quality, productivity and resistance to coffee leaf rust.
 
Process
This coffee is a natural process with an additional 48-hour carbonic maceration stage.
Ripe coffee cherries are picked and delivered for processing.
Cherries are sorted by hand and using density flotation to remove obvious defects.
The whole cherries are placed into sealed plastic drums.
The drums are flooded with carbon dioxide and the cherries undergo carbonic maceration for 48 hours.
After fermentation, the coffee is removed and spread onto patios.
The whole cherries are sun-dried for approximately 192 hours – around 8 days.
Drying continues until the coffee reaches a target moisture content of around 12%.
 
Keeping the fruit around the coffee seed during drying contributes additional sweetness and fruit character, while the controlled fermentation helps develop the distinctive aromatic profile of the finished coffee.
 
Why this coffee is special
There are a few things that make this lot particularly interesting. Firstly, it challenges one of the assumptions we often make about specialty coffee: that great Arabica needs to be grown at very high altitude. At just 650m, Bisal Munti sits well below the elevations we would normally associate with high quality Arabica. The warmer conditions mean careful management of shade, water and soil is incredibly important. The farm uses an agroforestry system to create the right growing environment, alongside practices designed to maintain soil health and moisture.
 
Then there is the processing. The freshly picked cherries are sorted before spending 48 hours fermenting whole inside sealed drums flooded with carbon dioxide, a technique known as carbonic maceration that originally comes from winemaking. Combined with natural processing, where the coffee is dried with the fruit still surrounding the seed, this creates a cup packed with intense fruit character and sweetness.
 
What to expect in the cup
Expect strawberry, bubble gum and jammy fruit flavours rather than the more traditional chocolate and spice profile people might associate with Indian coffee.
 
From SICC (South Inida Coffee Company)
Origin : India
Producer : Susheel Gyanchand – Bisal Munti Estate
Region :  Mandya
Varietal :  Chandragiri
Process : Natural | 48hr Carbonic Maceration
Altitude : 650masl