India Kerehaklu Robusta Natural

We are honoured to be launching several remarkable coffees from Kerehaklu, a stunningly biodiverse coffee plantation in the Western Ghats region of India owned by the Thipaiah family. This anoxic washed lot is delighting us with bright, warming notes of pecan, custard apple, and raisin. Our colleague Will was in India this year just as the arabica harvest was coming to an end, the first time he was able to cup coffees that we would receive later on. There's nothing like the sparkle of fresh crop coffee cupped at origin, and these coffees have held up nicely since then: They're tasting bright, sweet and delicious, and we've purchased more lots from Kerehaklu than ever before – including an anoxic natural and two Robustas (a first for us!). Kerehaklu is spread across 250 acres and has been chemical-free since 2016. The biodiversity there is incredible, with macaques, parrots, snakes, deer, civets, and boars regularly roaming, and even some occasional tigers. It has been run by the Thipaiah family for five generations. Today, Ajoy mainly looks after the growing and agronomy side while Pranoy manages processing. They primarily grow arabica coffee, but also two other species, canephora and liberica. Some plants on the estate are more than 100 years old, so the land and plant matter are well adapted to one another. Most of the varietals are Indian cultivars called 'Selection' — these are hybridised from other varieties to grow well in their environment. The Thipaiahs keep a plant nursery where they look after young plants from seed, including various 'Selection' arabicas, Obata, and SL28. They also have lots of avocados and pepper vines, both of which they produce to a very high standard and sell. The estate is home to many beautiful cluster fig trees (some estimated to be 400 years old) that grow around other trees slowly and eventually engulf them. The cluster figs aren't particularly tasty to humans, but they are much beloved by the many birds that live there, and the birds' guano is an excellent fertiliser for the coffee. These fig trees are the secondary canopy, with the highest canopy coming primarily from citrus trees. The ample shade means the coffee can grow and mature slowly. As a result, the output on an estate like this is much, much lower than more intensive "monocrop" coffee farms, but if you take a wider look at the total sum of outputs from all the crops, they are incredibly productive. This lot is an anoxic washed, meaning the coffee underwent a stage of fermentation in an oxygen-reduced environment prior to drying. Pranoy generally prefers the use of local yeasts that are the result of the natural microbiome rather than commercial yeasts (although he has experimented with both). One way that he kick-starts fermentation in anoxic coffees is by adding liquid from another active fermentation. This process is often referred to as Mossto or Mosto, a term taken from the wine industry that literally translates to 'grape juice'. At Kerehaklu, Pranoy has been experimenting with this technique since 2023, although it is only now becoming more common. Elevation: 1200 Meters above Sea LevelVarietal: Selection 5bCup score: 86Price paid per kg: £11.95Process: Anoxic washed

The specialty coffee industry may be focused on Arabica, but we want to demonstrate that other coffee species are worth a try, too. Growing a variety of species is increasingly crucial for farmers adapting to changing climate, and each brings its own flavour profile and ecological strengths. This is our very first Robusta coffee, and our good friend Pranoy Thipaiah of Kerehaklu used his expert processing skills to bring it to life. The beans themselves are a slightly different shape, very cute and round, and the profile of Robusta is fundamentally different, tasting much like classic diner coffee. However, this one will be much more clean and interesting: It is a washed option, very comforting with plenty of chocolately, nutty notes (think Snickers and peanut butter) plus a layer of fruity marzipan sweetness that shines through as it cools. We've chosen not to give this coffee a cup score, as the scoring system is designed for Arabica – but it's safe to say we were thoroughly impressed and can't wait for you to give it a try. Note that Robusta also benefits from longer resting after roast and cooler brewing water for more sweetness (try temperatures in the low 80s Celcius). Kerehaklu is a stunning and biodiverse coffee plantation in the Southern Ghats region of Karnataka in South India, run by father and son team Ajoy and Pranoy Thipaiah. (Our colleague Will has visited twice, and wrote about the wildlife and the agronomy here.) Pranoy strongly prefers washed process coffees (though Kerehaklu also produces some great naturals) and has been finessing his techniques with every harvest. Kerehaklu is spread across 250 acres and has been chemical-free since 2016. The biodiversity there is incredible, with macaques, parrots, snakes, deer, civets, and boars regularly roaming, and even some occasional tigers. It has been run by the Thipaiah family for five generations. Today, Ajoy mainly looks after the growing and agronomy side, while Pranoy manages processing. They primarily grow arabica coffee, but also two other species, canephora (Robusta) and liberica. Some plants on the estate are more than 100 years old, so the land and plant matter are well adapted to one another. Most of the varietals are Indian cultivars called 'Selection' — these are hybridised from other varieties to grow well in their environment. The Thipaiahs keep a plant nursery where they look after young plants from seed, including various 'Selection' arabicas, Obata, and SL28. They also have lots of avocados and pepper vines, both of which they produce to a very high standard and sell. The estate is home to many beautiful cluster fig trees (some estimated to be 400 years old) that grow around other trees slowly and eventually engulf them. The cluster figs aren't particularly tasty to humans, but they are much beloved by the many birds that live there, and the birds' guano is an excellent fertiliser for the coffee. These fig trees are the secondary canopy, with the highest canopy coming primarily from citrus trees. The ample shade means the coffee can grow and mature slowly. As a result, the output on an estate like this is much, much lower than more intensive "monocrop" coffee farms, but if you take a wider look at the total sum of outputs from all the crops, they are incredibly productive. Elevation: 1200 Meters above Sea LevelVarietal: RobustaCup score: n/aPrice paid per kg: £9.50Process: Washed

We are honoured to be launching several remarkable coffees from Kerehaklu, a stunningly biodiverse coffee plantation in the Western Ghats region of India owned by the Thipaiah family. This lot is naturally processed and has a beautiful balance of sweetness and acidity in the cup with juicy notes of pear, fig, and cardamom. Our colleague Will was in India this year just as the arabica harvest was coming to an end, the first time he was able to cup coffees that we would receive later on. There's nothing like the sparkle of fresh crop coffee cupped at origin, and these coffees have held up nicely since then: They're tasting bright, sweet and delicious, and we've purchased more lots from Kerehaklu than ever before – including an anoxic washed and two Robustas (a first for us!). Kerehaklu is spread across 250 acres and has been chemical-free since 2016. The biodiversity there is incredible, with macaques, parrots, snakes, deer, civets, and boars regularly roaming, and even some occasional tigers. It has been run by the Thipaiah family for five generations. Today, Ajoy mainly looks after the growing and agronomy side and while Pranoy manages processing. They primarily grow arabica coffee, but also two other species, canephora and liberica. Some plants on the estate are more than 100 years old, so the land and plant matter are well adapted to one another. Most of the varietals are Indian cultivars called 'Selection' — these are hybridised from other varieties to grow well in their environment. The Thipaiahs keep a plant nursery where they look after young plants from seed, including various 'Selection' arabicas, Obata, and SL28. They also have lots of avocados and pepper vines, both of which they produce to a very high standard and sell. The estate is home to many beautiful cluster fig trees (some estimated to be 400 years old) that grow around other trees slowly and eventually engulf them. The cluster figs aren't particularly tasty to humans, but they are much beloved by the many birds that live there, and the birds' guano is an excellent fertiliser for the coffee. These fig trees are the secondary canopy, with the highest canopy coming primarily from citrus trees. The ample shade means the coffee can grow and mature slowly. As a result, the output on an estate like this is much, much lower than more intensive "monocrop" coffee farms, but if you take a wider look at the total sum of outputs from all the crops, they are incredibly productive. This coffee is a real investment in the environment — a seasonal delight! This lot is an anoxic natural, meaning the coffee underwent a stage of fermentation in an oxygen-reduced environment prior to drying. Pranoy generally prefers the use of local yeasts that are the result of the natural microbiome rather than commercial yeasts (although he has experimented with both). One way that he kick-starts fermentation in anoxic coffees is by adding liquid from another active fermentation. This process is often referred to as Mossto or Mosto, a term taken from the wine industry that literally translates to 'grape juice'. At Kerehaklu, Pranoy has been experimenting with this technique since 2023, although it is only now becoming more common. Elevation: 1200 meters above sea levelVarietal: Selection 5bCup score: 87Price paid per kg: £13.25Process: Anoxic Natural

We've been loving all the lush flavours coming out of Ugandan coffee this year, and this lot is no exception. It's a quintessential example of natural coffee from the Rwenzori region: sweet notes of guava, strawberry, and sorrel combine to create a juicy cup with a hint of pleasing tartness. We sourced this coffee with the help of Agri Evolve, who through their local buying centre and coffee station work hard to help Ugandan farmers and their communities thrive. Ibanda is a coffee-farming village at the foothills of Uganda’s Rwenzori mountains. This coffee has been sourced from a large number of smallholder farmers from the southern part of the Rwenzori region. There are over 2,700 farmers in the area who bring their ripe cherries to the coffee station for processing. For this batch, the coffee cherries were placed in water for 48 hrs before being moved to the drying tables to complete the natural drying process, and the cherries were turned by hand regularly to ensure even drying. The dried cherries were then hulled, cleaned, and sorted in the dry mill before being bagged and sent to London. If you enjoy comparing the taste of coffees from the same region, we highly recommend checking out our other Ugandan naturals. From boozy to fruity and floral, they represent the truly diverse range of flavours that Ugandan coffee has to offer. Elevation: 1400–2000 Metres Above Sea Level Varietal: SL14, SL28, and some older regional landrace varieties Cup Score: 87.5 Price paid per kilo: £8.95 Process: Natural