Best Coffees in India - May 2021

May has been an exciting month for new coffees as the 2021 harvest is now accessible to everyone. In this blog we tried to pick a handful of our favourite coffee from a majority of them. Let us know which one is your favourite.

Mind = Blown from Kapi Kotai

Kapi Kotai's one of the most preferred coffee is Mind = Blown. You may have seen someone posting a picture on the gram. I still remember last year when they ran out of this coffee very early. So this time, as soon as Akshay posted a message in the Discord group, I was ready to get them and give it a try. Akshay Vaidayanathan and Ezzy Fernando founded it. One thing that I know about them is first they started roasting in an OTG. These beans are sourced from Mooleh Manay Estate (South Indian Coffee Company) which is run by Akshay Dashrath and Komal Sable. Mind = Blown is insanely fruity as mentioned on the packet. My favourite brewing method was with a Pourover. Akshay has promised to make this coffee widely available this year, so don't forget to get your hands on them.

Chandragiri Naturals from Beanrove

If coffee is a magic, then Shravan is the magician. D. S. Shravan- A 5th gen Coffee planter , Roaster, Certified Cupper and Barista with a Honour's Masters Degree in the field of Coffee Economics and Science from the university of Udine and Trieste. Hailing from the Kalledevarapura Estate family, he manages the post  harvesting process, green coffee sales, roasting and marketing for Kalledevarapura Estate, Balur Estate, Gunibyle Estate and Aghora Estate. As a primary B2B supplier, most of our micro lot and nano lot coffees are made available to home brewers via Sixteen grams, Kokoro coffee and Bili Hu coffee. According to him, there should be transparency between what is offered to brands/consumers and what is paid to the farmers. This year we received 4 coffees (Agora Estate Double Fermented, Kalledevarapura 795 washed, Kalledevarapura 795 Aqua Naturals, Chandragiri Naturals). Out of all of them, my personal favourite has been Chandragiri Naturals. One of the best things about this coffee is they have a long aftertaste.

Naturals from Mountain Bean

Mountain Bean has been a new love that I recently discovered. Akarsha, a 5th generation coffee grower, makes sure he produces the best quality beans. He is also a wildlife and nature conservation activist for the last 25 years focused on issues in the Chikmagalur district. Naturally processed beans have been my favourite for a Cold Brew. Using the Wobh Cold brew bags with 70 gms of mountain bean coffee is a sorted affair for a warm summer afternoon. Akarsha is a very humble and knowledgeable man who makes sure his knowledge of coffee doesn't go to waste. He believes that if anyone takes proper care of their estate, they will receive excellent results, which will be reflected in their beans. Mountain Bean is one of the most underrated and not widely promoted brands, and we recommend you try it.

Tan from Tulum Coffee

Tulum Coffee never disappoint when they launch any new coffee. Similarly may have been a lot of wait for their chrome coloured cloth bags of coffee to be revealed. Recently, they announced it on their platform; it looks extremely promising. The new Tan | Baarbara estate sun-dried medium-dark coffee is supposed to give Hazelnut, Coconut, Apricot flavour notes. The suggested brewing equipment are Filter Coffee, Espresso, French Press, Cold Brew. Also, For a Cold-Brew, they recommend going 50-50 with Baarbara HSD along with Thogarihunkal Washed to bring out the best flavour. We cannot wait to get our hands on this incredible coffee.

Honey I'm Nuts from Savorworks

Another community favorite. This is a black-honey from Stanmore Estate. It's an extremely juicy coffee with an incredible mouthfeel and aftertaste. Pour overs with it were really nuts.

Washed Ratnagiri from Blue Tokai

This lot of light roasted washed Ratnagiri is extremely delicate. The mouthfeel is light, and finish tea like. This coffee is very well profiled. It makes a great everyday coffee. My recommendation would be pour-overs with it. Easy to extract too.

Venkids Valley Yellow Honey from Bloom Coffee Roasters

Balance is the word. This coffee strikes the perfect balance between expressiveness and delicateness. Often tipping on the sweeter side. Its very well suited for pour overs and & the Aeropress.