Getting to know your Coffee: Biodynamic India Seethargundu Estate
Get ready for something different! These deliciously funky little beans hailing from India stood out big time on our table. We didn’t know what to make of it at first. The combination of notes was not like many that have passed our table before, and for me personally, it was entirely new. The notes are different than what you might expect from the usual ‘chocolate’ or ‘cherry,’ but trust us it all works. We are talking hazelnut, nougat, and a sandalwood aroma. Yup, not the regular bunch you were expecting to taste in your cup this round, but it is well worth it! The nougat and hazelnut play well with one another, giving the cup a wonderful creamy sweetness, complimented by a light body, gentle acidity, and a maturity brought on by the sandalwood aromatics. This combination was distinct, and truly delicious! Another notable trait about this coffee is that it defies many of the general rules of coffee in regards to brewing for quality, and ends up tasting good even when the user makes a mistake brewing it. Just odd and impressive at the same time, a great way to describe this funky little brew.
A little background to note quick; India, in regards to coffee production, primarily grows and exports robusta over arabica beans in the greater world of coffee. This does not mean, however, that there hasn’t been an effort to produce delicious arabica beans by our friends in India. There has always been an arabica presence in India, but in the past, the quality was not quite there and the focus, again, was on robusta. These days, robusta is still king for India’s coffee exports, but the arabica scene has been picking up the last decade or so. Our Seethargundu show us just that! An excellent coffee providing a completely new experience of terroir and the rules of coffee as a whole. This cup serves as reminder that just because we have been drinking coffee for centuries, does not mean we have tried it all. Get out of your comfort zone and give this a try, we promise it is worth the experience alone.
Bonus Notes from Scott’s Desk:
Biodynamic India Seethargundu Estate
Notes: Biodynamic India Seethargundu Estate is sourced from the award winning Poabs estate, located in Western Ghats mountain range in the state of Kerala, India. The Western Ghats mountain range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most biologically diverse places in the world with more than 5,000 species of flowering plants and 508 different species of birds. Given the location, it’s no surprise that Poabs is the largest perennial multi-crop organic estates in the world with more than 7,500 acres cultivated with Arabica and Robusta coffee, and tea, all intercropped with pepper, cardamom, oranges, and vanilla production. Poabs has been winning awards for the past decade that recognize the quality in the cup (Best Specialty Arabica and Flavor of India Fine Cup Awards) and sustainability (SCAA 2007 Sustainability Award). Royal is especially privileged to be offering this particular lot, which has won the 2017 Flavor of India Fine Cup Award for the best Specialty and Organic coffee.
Tasting notes:
Hazelnut, nougat, sandalwood, gentle acidity
Brightness: 3
Roast: 2.5
Complexity: 3