Cupping notes - Citrus, pears, apricots, crisp aftertaste
Origin - India
Location - Chikmagalur
Producers - Ratnagiri Estate
Altitude - 1340 M.A.S.L
Process – Washed, Extended carbonic maceration
Varietal - Catuai
Coffee cherry for this lot was harvested at 24.1 brix. The coffee was pulped and then placed in a stainless steel fermentation tank which was purged of oxygen using carbon dioxide. The coffee was allowed to ferment in the tank for 90 hours before being soaked in clean water for 24 hours. It was then moved to raised beds where it was dried for 27 days.
The Hindi word 'Ratnagiri' translates literally to 'Pearl Mountain', a reference to the dense silver oak canopy which crowns this farm. Ratnagiri was established in 1920 and is owned and operated by Ashok Patre, having been passed down from Grandfather, to father to son.
Ashok Patre is a progressive. Well-travelled and bursting with initiative, he has drawn inspiration from elsewhere to step beyond the boundaries of traditional Indian coffee cultivation and processing. Brix levels are tested before harvesting. Processing includes natural, honey and fermentation experiments alongside the traditional washed.
For all intents and purposes Ratnagiri Estate is an organic/biodynamic farm and also maintains official Rainforest Alliance Certification. Quarterly soil tests and organic corrections to soil are applied. Ionic seawater and sea weed extract are applied to improve plant immunity and sugar levels of the fruit.
The estate is a lush shaded environment with 3 stories of shade. It is home to over 48 recorded bird populations, monkeys, leopards, wild boar, tigers, mongoose and - on occasion - elephants. The rich biodiversity demands that Ashok and his family have an approach to farming which places ecology and harmony with the environment at the forefront.
Free postage on all coffee orders over £30