Karnataka Coffee from India

We just picked up two new coffees from the Karnataka state of southern India (capital Bangalor) imported locally in Hillsboro by Karnataka Plantation Coffees. If importing excellent coffee were not enough, Karnataka works closely with its coffee growers to ensure the coffee is grown in an environmentally-conscious, sustainable manner, as well as paying them a fair price for their beans. Like all of our coffees, it is grown in the shade, preserving natural environment. We have roasted coffee from Karnataka for a couple years now but the latest batch is certainly worthy of note.

KATTEHOLLAY ESTATE WASHED ARABICA PEABERRY
I just roasted the last of our previous bag of Indian peaberry and was in the mood for something new. When we went to visit Mike at the Karnataka warehouse in Hillsboro he suggested this coffee from the Kattehollay estate, the most highly elevated estate of those he imports at 5000 feet. His recommendation was spot-on -- the test roast was vibrant and sweet in the way I remembered our Indian coffees once tasting. In years past they had quite a following among our customers and I have no doubt this Kattehollay peaberry will turn a few heads.

KPCI PREMIUM ESTATE ARABICA - TREE DRIED "AMARITA"
Before I talk about this coffee, I'll need to detour into an explanation of green coffee processing. As you well know, the place where the coffee is grown has an enormous effect on the qualities of the coffee -- coffees vary from country to country, from estate to estate, from one side of a mountain to the other, even. Many of a coffee's characteristics stem from climate, altitude, soil and growing practices. But the other major factor determining the flavor of the brewed coffee in your cup is how the coffee is processed -- how it goes from being a small, red fruit to a pale, green bean, dried and ready for roasting -- which is far from standardized, often largely dependent on natural resources (fresh, clean water, for example) and availability of proper equipment, and which can be the difference between a good and bad cup of coffee. Briefly, many coffees are designated "washed," meaning after a short fermentation, the pulp is washed from the bean before it is dried. This method minimizes off flavors -- mustiness, earthiness -- and leads to a "cleaner" cup. Another common designation is "natural," meaning the coffee berries have been allowed to dry on a patio, then raked to remove the dried pulp from the bean. "Natural" coffees are often more unique in their flavors -- fruity, floral, chocolaty -- but run the risk of off flavors. OK, back to the Indian coffee at hand. What we have is a "tree dried" coffee and in the world of coffee processing, this is certainly unconventional. You might remember excellent Indian coffee we were serving a little over a year ago -- that was the prototype "tree dried" coffee, ultimately a mistake of the growers who left a corner of the plantation unharvested. By the time they remembered, the berries had dried on the tree, the growers blessed with an absence of rain that would have washed the berries away. The result was an outstanding cup -- floral, chocolaty and complex. This time around, the tree drying was controlled. The coffee cherries were allowed to dry almost completely, harvested, then finished on the patio. You could call it the ultimate natural process. Here's my ungrounded theory about the remarkable characteristics of this coffee: because the berries are allowed to dry on the tree, they are well exposed to air and sunlight, minimizing the development of musty or earthy flavors that might stem from a poor patio job. I have been enjoying this coffee at home, made in a french press, but I think it will really shine in the espresso, so expect a new blend on the way.