PROCESS: Washed
ROAST: Medium
VARIETY: Cauvery, Catuai, SL-9
ELEVATION: 1,355 meters
BODY: Smooth & light
NOTES: Mellow fresh citrus fruit, peanut, and green tea flavors; tart acidity and mild sweetness.

Coffee is said to have first been brought from Africa to India in the 17th century. According to legend, a Sufi saint named Baba Budan encountered coffee during his pilgrimage to Mecca. Locals there were proud and protective of their coffee plants and prevented anyone from taking seeds to be planted outside of Yemen. Baba Budan was determined to share coffee with India, though. He hid seven seeds in his beard, discreetly escorting them through the port and planted them in the hills of the Karnataka region. In the 1800s, the British established commercial coffee plantations in the southern regions of India, and coffee production grew exponentially.

The Patre family founded Ratnagiri Estate in 1927, and Ashok Patre assumed ownership in 1989. Since then, Ashok has revolutionized coffee production on his farm and in India. Year by year, Ashok reevaluated all aspects of production. He began with cherries by implementing more selective picking over five to six rounds, followed by intensive sorting before processing. “We feel that is most important in Specialty to start with.” He then invested in infrastructure by constructing a mill, drying houses, and a washing station outfitted with fermenters. Today, every aspect of production and process is controlled at Ratnagiri Estate, and 60% of the 117-hectare farm’s volume is Specialty grade.

100% ARABICA BEANS