The history behind Monsoon Malabar originated when the British began shipping coffee from India to Europe. The coffee was packed into the hulls of wooden ships and exposed to a 6mth journey, during which the conditions were invariably humid. The trip mellowed the coffee and took away the acidity in the bean.
These days monsooned coffees are prepared in open-sided curing warehouses situated on the West Coast. To ensure the quality of monsooned coffee only “A” grade Arabica cherries are selected. The monsooning process is from June to September when the southwest monsoon is very intense on the West Coast.
The coffee is packed loose in cloth bags and stacked in piles with sufficient space between the rows for the monsoon air to circulate freely around the bags.The cherry absorbs moisture from the humid monsoon atmosphere and the beans swell up to nearly double their size. The colour of the bean changes from green to a pale yellow.The coffee is repacked or poured from one bag to another at frequent intervals to prevent mould growth and to ensure uniform monsooning. The process is completed in 12 to 16 weeks. At the end of monsooning, the coffee is polished and graded, based on the size of the beans.
Profile:
- Acidity: Medium
- Body: Medium
- Bag Size: 60 kg
- Harvest Period: N/A
- Coffee Description: This is a totally unique bean, sweet, musty, aggressive flavours, pungent, nutty roasted tones, and subtle caramel and tobacco notes. A great bean for espresso blending, building flavour profiles that are unique due to its infusion.
- Strength: Very Strong
- Brewing Methods: Domestic Espresso, Plunger, Drip, Stove-Top Espresso
- Tasting Notes: Exotic, fragrant and complex. Spicy aromas of cinnamon and cedar with a rich, full body and subtle hints of tobacco and caramel.