We received samples for a small estate lot of peaberry from India, a lot I had cupped and liked in previous seasons, and snapped up the last 4 bags. I like wet-process India arabica coffees, mild and very balanced, when they are correctly picked and processed. Much of the coffee is grown at relatively low altitudes, so ideally you want to find lots from altitudes above 1200 meters. This affects bean densities, which in turn affects roasting. "Soft" coffees from low altitudes are more difficult to roast, especially in small home roasters I believe, and the result can be ashy flavors, and greater risk of scorching or tipping the coffee. Anyway, Kattehollay Estate is at 1300 meters, and is often a more dense coffee anyway by way of it's novel form and maturation. The cup sends some mixed messages in the aromatics, mineral-type and savory smells, that reslove themselves in the cup flavors. The dry fragrance is food-like in a way, saucy, what we call Umame (look it up in our glossary!). There are roasted almondy nut tones, and these come through in the wet aroma too, along with subtle hints of sandalwood. The cup is a bit different, with sweetness and body, mild brightness, and balance being the main features. There are starfruit flavors initially, a touch of pear, and the aforementioned almond tone. The body is not overbearing, but pleasantly substantial. There's a modicum of brightness giving the cup a bit of liveliness, and a sweet anise note as it cools. A cup like this works very well in vacuum brewing, and we enjoyed the espresso as well. Soft, rounded, it bears some resemblance to the Carmo de Minas Brasils we have had previously, although that region is a few continents away. It's a very small lot so we are limiting the amounts to spread it around a bit.



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Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold, what a name! It lends itself to a few bawdy jokes, but I will just leave that up to you ... Let's call it MNEB as they do in the trade, and what it actually means is that this is the top grade arabica coffee, the flagship category exported from India. It is the largest screen size (18+ screen), grown and prepared to the highest standards of the India Coffee Board. Mysore coffees are actually grown in the Karnataka state, districts of Mysore, Coorg, Biligiris and Shevaroys, in southern India. I was intrigued by the MNEB coffees after participating in an India cupping a while back, and tried to push some importers to bring in this high-grade coffee (we are not big enough to import a container of coffee ourselves!) The dry fragrance has a restrained balance; milk chocolate predominates, with nut additions (dry roast almond, hazelnut). The wet aroma at City+ roast has cinnamon spice and parchment notes, while FC roast has more pungent spice, black tea, and a peppery aspect. The cup is a great example of coffee that is not terribly sweet, with just moderate traces in the finish, but quite nice anyway. It has strong nutty roast character in the light roasts, minerally, with a hint of clean earth and aromatic wood. It has a more savory character than most coffees, but I also get blackberry at the FC roast level, and a dry, parchment-like finish. The acidity is quite moderate, the body quite substantial. It has some hints of Brazil flavor profile, perhaps in the mild acids, big body, and unusual balance of minerally notes with traces of sweetness.



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