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Three times the population, one third the land mass and half the GDP of the United States, India is the most populated and largest democratic country in the world. Along with the United States and China, India is a geopolitical juggernaut whose actions will determine the world’s fate. This is a country that cannot be summed in 1000 words… the Indus Valley civilization dating back to 7000 BCE, the Ganges River running 1569 miles from the western Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, the genesis of Buddhism contributed to Siddhartha Gautama, the Taj Mai, British East India Company, Duke of Wellington grounding as a commander in the Angol-Mysore War, the British Raj, Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle book, Gandi, Nehru, tea, coffee… did you say coffee? Although often overlooked in the western hemisphere, India has a tradition dating to the 16th century when the Indian saint Baba Budan returned from a pilgrimage to Mecca with 7 coffee beans smuggled in his beard. He planted them on a mountainside in Karnataka province, now named Baba Budangiri, where a shrine has been built in commemoration.
Located in this very area is Ratnagiri, translated Pearl Mountain, a familial 3rd generation Estate managed by Rohith and Ashok Patre. Surrounded by the highly bio-diversified UNESCO World Heritage Western Ghat Mountain Range, the area’s beauty is a natural backdrop for the Patre’s meticulous cultivation utilizing the canopy of large shade trees midst pepper vines and cardamom groves at greater than a 4000-foot elevation. Perhaps only my imagination but I experience the lingering nostalgia of my first black cardamom tea… lovingly prepared in the traditional way… earthy, smokey, slightly sweet. Baba Budangiri is also known as Chandradrona, translated Moon Guide, as the range naturally forms the shape of a crescent moon. Moon Guide and Pearl both conjure such beautiful imagery… perhaps a string of pearls elegantly placed, glistening under the radiance of a full moon with the lovely Art Pepper saxophone rendition of “Diane”, written as a homage to his wife, echoing in the background. Well… enough of that. Amy and I found this super interesting… although the acidity is low and body deep it finishes with a pleasant “tingle” and tantalizes with a fantastic mouth feel. Sweet caramelized sugar… like the top of a Bruleé. Sweet nuttiness… like almond or perhaps hazelnut. There is a bittersweet chocolate element that seems to pull all this together and give a swagger that is hard to pin down… the rustic simple notes of this coffee are pulled together for a crescendo finish. This is a very satisfying drinking coffee. A high-level coffee purveyors description… “a higher tonal level than expected”. We think it will hit a high note with you as well.
Process: Washed… removal of all cherry fruit with the bean dried
Elevation: 3937-4421 feet
